Parallel-Plate Capacitor Titanium Nitride Kinetic Inductance Detectors for Infrared Astronomy

Abstract

The Balloon Experiment for Galactic INfrared Science (BEGINS) is a concept for a sub-orbital observatory that will operate from $\lambda$ = 25-250 $\mu$m to characterize dust in the vicinity of high-mass stars. The mission's sensitivity requirements will be met by utilizing arrays of 1,840 lens-coupled, lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) operating at 300 mK. Each KID will consist of a titanium nitride (TiN) parallel strip absorbing inductive section and parallel plate capacitor (PPC) deposited on a silicon (Si) substrate. The PPC geometry allows for reduction of the pixel spacing. At the BEGINS focal plane the detectors require optical NEPs from $2\times10^{-16}$ W/$\sqrt{\textrm{Hz}}$ to $6\times10^{-17}$ W/$\sqrt{\textrm{Hz}}$ from 25-250 $\mu$m for optical loads ranging from 4 pW to 10 pW. We present the design, optical performance and quasiparticle lifetime measurements of a prototype BEGINS KID array at 25 $\mu$m when coupled to Fresnel zone plate lenses. For our optical set up and the absorption efficiency of the KIDs, the electrical NEP requirement at 25 $\mu$m is $7.6\times10^{-17}$ W/$\sqrt{\textrm{Hz}}$ for an absorbed optical power of 0.36 pW. We find that over an average of five resonators the the detectors are photon noise limited down to about 200 fW, with a limiting NEP of about $7.4\times10^{-17}$ W/$\sqrt{\textrm{Hz}}$.