Development of Terahertz Photon Counting Technology for Astronomical Observation

• Project/Area Number: 15K13469
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Astronomy
• Research Institution: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
• Principal Investigator: Ezawa Hajime 国立天文台, チリ観測所, 助教 (60321585)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 松尾 宏 国立天文台, 先端技術センター, 准教授 (90192749) ; 浮辺 雅宏 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, エレクトロニクス・製造領域, 研究グループ長 (00344226)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥600,000)
• Keywords: 電波天文学 / テラヘルツ波天文観測 / 光子計数技術

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Various key technologies to realize the terahertz photon counting detectors for astronomical observation are studied and developed. We decided to integrate a superconducting tunneling junction (SIS junction) into a photon counting detector. For this we developed a superconducting tunnel junction (SIS) with low leakage current at CRAVITY facility in AIST, and successfully realized a junction with leakage current as low as 1 pA. Based on this achievement we designed an SIS detector with a twin-slot antenna and a choke filter, and evaluated the performance by numerical simulations. The design of the readout circuit is also studied, which includes the first stage FET mounted next to the SIS detector. In order to cool these devices, we also developed a helium-4 sorption cooler, which has relatively high cooling power. These achievements will play important roll to realize the photon counting detectors for terahertz astronomy.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Proposal of Photon Counting Terahertz Interferometry (2018)
  • Author(s): Matsuo, H., Ezawa, H., Kiuchi, H., Honma, M., Murata, Y.
  • Journal Title: JAXA Special Publication Volume: JAXA-SP-17-009E Pages: 261-264
  • NAID: 120006827351
  • Open Access
• [Journal Article] Developments of Terahertz Intensity Interferometry using SIS Photon Counting Detectors (2018)
  • Author(s): Matsuo, H., Ezawa, H., Kiuchi, H., Honma, M., Murata, Y., Ukibe, M., Fujii, G., Shiki, S., Sakata, M.
  • Journal Title: 11th Superconducting SFQ VLSI Workshop SSV 2018 -- Program and Proceedings Volume: - Pages: 18-22
  • Open Access
• [Journal Article] SIS Detectors for Terahertz Photon Counting System (2016)
  • Author(s): Hajime Ezawa, Hiroshi Matsuo, Masahiro Ukibe, Go Fujii, Shigetomo Shiki
  • Journal Title: Journal of Low Temperature Physics Volume: (in press) Issue: 1-2 Pages: 244-249
  • DOI: 10.1007/s10909-015-1465-9
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Advantages of Photon Counting Detectors for Terahertz Astronomy (2016)
  • Author(s): Hiroshi Matsuo, Hajime Ezawa
  • Journal Title: Journal of Low Temperature Physics Volume: (in press) Issue: 3-4 Pages: 718-723
  • DOI: 10.1007/s10909-015-1462-z
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] SIS Photon Detectors for Terahertz Astronomy (2018)
  • Author(s): Ezawa, H., Matsuo, H., Ukibe, M., Fujii, G., Shiki, S.
  • Organizer: 29th IEEE International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Prospects of Terahretz Intensity Interferometry (2018)
  • Author(s): Matsuo, H., Ezawa, H., Kiuchi, H., Honma, M., Murata, Y..
  • Organizer: 29th IEEE International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Developments of Terahertz Intensity Interferometry using SIS Photon Counting Detectors (2018)
  • Author(s): Matsuo, H., Ezawa, H., Kiuchi, H., Honma, M., Murata, Y., Ukibe, M., Fujii. G., Shiki, S., Sakata, M.
  • Organizer: 11th Superconducting SFQ VLSI Workshop (SSV 2018)
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Studies on Imaging Performance of Terahertz Intensity Interferometry (2018)
  • Author(s): Matsuo, H., Ezawa, H., Kiuchi, H., Honma, M., Murata, Y.
  • Organizer: 第18回 宇宙科学シンポジウム
• [Presentation] Developments toward THz Intensity Interferometry (2018)
  • Author(s): Matsuo, H., Ezawa, H., Kiuchi, H., Honma, M., Murata, Y.
  • Organizer: 第18回ミリ波サブミリ波受信機ワークショップ
• [Presentation] テラヘルツ強度干渉計の実現に向けて (2018)
  • Author(s): 松尾 宏、江澤 元、木内 等、本間希樹、村田泰宏、浮辺雅弘、藤井 剛、志岐成友、坂田美紗樹
  • Organizer: 日本天文学会2018年春季年会
• [Presentation] Terahertz Intensity Interferometry for 1 mas resolution (2018)
  • Author(s): Matsuo, H., Ezawa, H., Kiuchi, H., Honma, M., Murata, Y.
  • Organizer: 宇宙電波懇談会シンポジウム FY2017：「未来を拓く技術開発とその将来展望」
• [Presentation] Study on Exoplanet Imaging using Intensity VLBI (2017)
  • Author(s): Matsuo, H.
  • Organizer: Black Hole Astrophysics with VLBI: Past, Present, and Future
  • Place of Presentation: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
  • Year and Date: 2017-03-27
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] テラヘルツ光子計数型検出器の基礎開発-II (2017)
  • Author(s): 江澤 元、松尾 宏、浮辺雅宏、藤井剛、志岐成友
  • Organizer: 日本天文学会2017年春季年会
  • Place of Presentation: 九州大学伊都キャンパス (福岡県福岡市)
  • Year and Date: 2017-03-15
• [Presentation] Feasibility Studies on Photon Counting Terahertz Interferometry (2017)
  • Author(s): Matsuo, H., Ezawa, H., Kiuchi, H., Honma, M., Murata, Y.
  • Organizer: The 28th International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology
  • Place of Presentation: University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
  • Year and Date: 2017-03-13
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 南極テラヘルツ干渉計の提案 (2017)
  • Author(s): 松尾 宏
  • Organizer: 南極30m級テラヘルツ望遠鏡によるサイエンス
  • Place of Presentation: 国立極地研究所 (東京都立川市)
  • Year and Date: 2017-03-02
• [Presentation] スペーステラヘルツ干渉計の提案 (2017)
  • Author(s): 松尾 宏
  • Organizer: 2016年度宇宙電波懇談会シンポジウム
  • Place of Presentation: 国立天文台 (東京地三鷹市)
  • Year and Date: 2017-02-22
• [Presentation] テラヘルツ強度干渉計の提案 (2017)
  • Author(s): 松尾 宏, 江澤 元, 木内 等, 本間希樹, 村田泰宏
  • Organizer: 第17回 宇宙科学シンポジウム
  • Place of Presentation: 宇宙科学研究所 (神奈川県相模原市)
  • Year and Date: 2017-01-05
• [Presentation] Progress towards Photon Counting Detectors for Terahertz Astronomy (2017)
  • Author(s): Ezawa, H., Matsuo, H., Ukibe, M., Fujii, G., Shiki, S.
  • Organizer: 17th International Workshop on Low Temperature Detectors
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Compact 0.8 K Helium-4 Sorption Cooler (2017)
  • Author(s): Matsuo, H., Ezawa, H., Kawamura, Y., Kubo, D., Okada, N., Shimomukai, R.
  • Organizer: 17th International Workshop on Low Temperature Detectors
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Proposal of Photon Counting Terahertz Interferometry (2017)
  • Author(s): Matsuo, H., Ezawa, H., Kiuchi, H., Honma, M., Murata, Y.
  • Organizer: The Cosmic Wheel and the Legacy of the AKARI archive: from galaxies and stars to planets and life
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] THz Interferometry from Dome A (2017)
  • Author(s): Matsuo, H.
  • Organizer: Annual General Meeting of AFoPS 2017
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] テラヘルツ光子計数型検出器の基礎開発-III (2017)
  • Author(s): 江澤 元、松尾 宏、浮辺雅弘、藤井 剛、志岐成友
  • Organizer: 日本天文学会2017年秋季年会
• [Presentation] テラヘルツ強度干渉計による画像合成手法 (2017)
  • Author(s): 松尾 宏、江澤 元、木内 等、本間希樹、村田泰宏
  • Organizer: 日本天文学会2017年秋季年会
• [Presentation] 光子統計と赤外線強度干渉計 (2017)
  • Author(s): 松尾 宏
  • Organizer: 第7回 可視赤外線観測装置技術ワークショップ 2017
• [Presentation] 強度干渉計によるテラヘルツ光源の物理状態の解明 (2017)
  • Author(s): 松尾 宏
  • Organizer: H28年度ミリ波研究会「GHｚ～THｚ帯における高電力発振源の開発と応用」
  • Place of Presentation: 核融合科学研究所 (岐阜県土岐市)
• [Presentation] 電波光子の統計的振る舞いと強度干渉計による画像合成について (2016)
  • Author(s): 松尾 宏
  • Organizer: VLBI懇談会シンポジウム2016
  • Place of Presentation: 山口大学吉田キャンパス (山口県山口市)
  • Year and Date: 2016-12-26
  • Invited
• [Presentation] テラヘルツ光子計数型検出器の基礎開発 (2016)
  • Author(s): 江澤 元、松尾 宏 、浮辺雅宏、藤井 剛、志岐成友
  • Organizer: 日本天文学会2016年秋季年会
  • Place of Presentation: 愛媛大学城北キャンパス (愛媛県松山市)
  • Year and Date: 2016-09-14
• [Presentation] 光子計数型 SIS 検出器のための 0.8K 冷凍器の評価 (2016)
  • Author(s): 川村祐太、松尾 宏、江澤 元、岡田則夫、久保大樹
  • Organizer: 日本天文学会2016年秋季年会
  • Place of Presentation: 愛媛大学城北キャンパス (愛媛県松山市)
  • Year and Date: 2016-09-14
• [Presentation] Developments towards the terahertz intensity interferometry (2016)
  • Author(s): Ezawa, H., Matsuo, H., Ukibe, M., Fujii, G., Shiki, S.
  • Organizer: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation
  • Place of Presentation: Edinburgh International Conference Center, Ediburgh, Scotland, UK
  • Year and Date: 2016-06-26
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Terahertz intensity interferometry for milli-arcsecond resolution (2016)
  • Author(s): Matsuo, H., Ezawa, H., Kiuchi, H., Honma, M., Murata, Y.
  • Organizer: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation
  • Place of Presentation: Edinburgh International Conference Center, Ediburgh, Scotland, UK
  • Year and Date: 2016-06-26
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Terahertz Intensity Interferometry for Very High Angular Resolution Observations (2016)
  • Author(s): Matsuo, H., Ezawa, H., Honma, M., Kiuchi, H., Murata, Y.
  • Organizer: The 27th International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology
  • Place of Presentation: Jinling Hotel, Nanjing, China
  • Year and Date: 2016-04-12
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] テラヘルツ光子計数の技術と応用 (2016)
  • Author(s): 松尾宏
  • Organizer: 第16回ミリ波サブミリ波受信機ワークショップ
  • Place of Presentation: 電気通信大学、調布市、東京
  • Year and Date: 2016-03-07
• [Presentation] Readout electronics for THz photon counter (2015)
  • Author(s): Matsuo, H., Ezawa, H., Kojima, T., Kawamura, Y., Sakurai, D.
  • Organizer: The 16th Workshop on Submm Wave Receiver Technologies in Eastern Asia
  • Place of Presentation: Hilton Hotel Riverside, Nanjing, China
  • Year and Date: 2015-11-22
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] SIS Detectors for Terahertz Photon Counting System (2015)
  • Author(s): Ezawa, H., Matsuo, H., Ukibe, M., Fujii, G., Shiki, S.
  • Organizer: 16th International Workshop on Low Temperature Detectors
  • Place of Presentation: Centre de Congres WTC, Grenoble, France
  • Year and Date: 2015-07-20
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Advantages of Photon Counting Detectors for Terahertz Astronomy (2015)
  • Author(s): Matsuo, H., Ezawa, H.
  • Organizer: 16th International Workshop on Low Temperature Detectors
  • Place of Presentation: Centre de Congres WTC, Grenoble, France
  • Year and Date: 2015-07-20
  • Int'l Joint Research