Far-infrared (IR) astronomy is one of the main tools astrophysicists use to understand the universe around US. Such observations probe objects and processes that are often invisible at other…

This federal contract award, valued at $550,768.00, was made by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to the University of Illinois to produce an integrated on-chip spectrometer prototype operable at far-infrared (100 to 200 micron) wavelengths. The spectrometer will be integrated with a kinetic inductance device (KID) detector array, allowing for compact light dispersion and detection in a single device. The University of Chicago will design and fabricate the detectors, while the Rochester Institute of Technology will build a spectral calibration apparatus. This research grant does not have a set-aside designation. The goal is to develop a high-resolution (R>100) far-infrared spectrometer that can provide crucial insights into the formation of structure in the cosmos, including the birth of stars and supermassive black holes, as well as the properties of interstellar dust.

Far-infrared (IR) astronomy is one of the main tools astrophysicists use to understand the universe around US. Such observations probe objects and processes that are often invisible at other wavelengths, such as young STARS and their formation the birth and growth of supermassive black holes and the nature and properties of dust in the interstellar medium (ISM) in local and distant galaxies. The far-IR hosts a rich and diverse set of atomic and molecular transition lines that are diagnostic of heating and cooling processes that trace the physical state of matter and radiation in the cosmos. Molecular transitions in protoplanetary disks trace the temperature, density, and composition of nascent solar systems outside our own. Observations of far-IR line emission and absorption from atomic gas including [OI], [NII], [CI], and [CII] yield insights into the processes responsible for the formation of STARS at all epochs, ranging from clouds within our own galaxy all the way back to the first galaxies. Many other examples exist, which all point to the fact that spectral measurements in the far-IR are a crucial probe of the formation of structure in the cosmos at all distances and times. Here a proposed short, focussed investigation whose primary objective is the production of an integrated on-chip spectrometer prototype operable at wavelengths between 100 and 200 microns. The spectrometer will be integrated with a butted kinetic inductance device (KID) detector array, integrating the light dispersion and detection on a single compact device. We target a spectral resolution of r>100, and plan to demonstrate 10 bands over the wavelength range. Spectral dispersion will be provided by waveguide etched into the SI coupled to harmonic resonators, similar to existing technologies operating at longer wavelengths. The spectrometer will be designed and fabricated by members of our team at the university of illinois, and the detectors will be designed and fabricated at the university of chicago. The rochester institute of technology will build a spectral calibration apparatus, and all three institutions will be involved in the integration and test of the device.