This proposal seeks funding to set up a laboratory dedicated to the development, testing, and flight qualification of electron multiplying charge coupled devices emccds. I propose a focus on detectors…

This is a $399,135 grant awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) to set up a laboratory dedicated to the development, testing, and flight qualification of electron multiplying charge coupled device (EMCCD) detectors. The laboratory, named the Hamden UVVIS Detector (HUVD) Lab, will focus on producing EMCCD detectors optimized for use in ultraviolet (UV), visible, and near-infrared (IR) telescopes, with the goal of having flight-ready detectors in time for incorporation into Explorer-class missions and large-scale telescopes recommended by the 2020 Decadal Survey. The grant will leverage Caltech's expertise in EMCCD technology and UV telescope instrumentation to advance critical detector capabilities for future space astronomy missions.

This proposal seeks funding to set up a laboratory dedicated to the development, testing, and flight qualification of electron multiplying charge coupled devices emccds. I propose a focus on detectors for use on ultraviolet UV telescopes in particular, but also at visible and near infrared IR wavelengths for any photon starved application. Such a lab is uniquely suited to be placed at caltech. Caltech has unique access to resources at JPL, the expertise at caltech optical observatories on emccds is unparalleled, and the UV telescope expertise provided by chris martin s group, the space astrophysics lab, is equally vital. My proposal, to create the hamden uvvis detector huvd lab at caltech . This lab, and my work in IT, will leverage the abilities and technology already present at caltech, along with substantial institutional support, into an avenue of research that is critical to making the largescale space-telescopes of the future as effective, inexpensive, and efficient as possible. This lab will be located in a dedicated space provided by caltech, using a combination of new and existing equipment. Institutional support is provided in the form of my own salary fully funded through 2020 by the caltech prize millikan fellowship and a national science foundation astronomy and astrophysics postdoctoral fellowship, NSF aapf, laboratory space, and equipment. My proposal includes a plan to mentor a grad student during the development phase, helping to foster a member of the next generation of future instrument builders. I am especially excited by this prospect, as i OWE much of my own career to NASA funded technology initiatives and the emphasis on grad student participation for those programs. The primary goal for this proposal is to produce emccd detectors that are flight ready in time for incorporation into explorer class missions and for use on large scale telescopes likely to be suggested by the 2020 decadal survey. An ancillary benefit is the production of emccds for potential use in ground based instruments, including high resolution spectrographs. The tests necessary for this qualification will take place in a lab setting and in flight on a complementary balloon project. Lab tests include: 1. Accurate measurements of dark current below 0.1 events PIX1 HR1 2. UV quantum efficiency QE and quantum yield QY measurements from 120-900 NM. 3. An exploration of the effect of PCB design and waveform shaping on clock induced charge CIC and read noise levels 4. Radiation hardness measurements, both from protons and total ionizing dose 5. Signal to noise measurements, data pipeline, gain burn-in these tests will be conducted on several device sizes and types, including frame transfer and full frame devices engineering grade and delta-doped CCD97S and CCD201-20S. High efficiency emccd detectors have great potential to increase instrument throughput, lower costs, and increase sensitivity at uvvisnear IR wavelengths and can make an immediate, large impact when used at UV wavelengths in particular. The association of universities for research in astronomy aura recently released a report on a future large scale UV VIS space telescope dalcanton ET AL 2015. When identifying essential UV technologies of the future, especially in light of the eventual end of the hubble space telescope HST, they describe the need for a detector which can achieve the triple crown high quantum efficiency, low read noisephoton counting, and low dark current . High efficiency, UV-optimized emccd detectors will meet these challenges, and the huvd lab will provide the tests and results that are needed to put them into space.