mpifr apex instrumentation...fully integrated circuit with amplifier, filter, mixer, programmable...

MPIfR APEX Instrumentation

Bernd Klein

[email protected]

MPIfR APEX Instrumentation

Bernd Klein

[email protected]

Bernd Klein, Ringberg 2018

MPIfR APEX instrumentationMPIfR APEX instrumentation


Overview of my talk:

LAsMATHz channel

CHAMP+ HFA CHAMP+ LFA

(PI 230)

FLASH 460 LAsMA FLASH 230

FLASH PI 850

A-MKID HFA

A-MKID LFA

PI 230 Receiver (mm-VLBI)PI 230 Receiver (mm-VLBI)


Technical specifications:

➔ 2SB SIS mixer from IRAM (NOEMA spin-off)➔ dual polarization operation ➔ RF range: 195 – 270 GHz➔ Receiver noise temperature: 50 – 60 K (SSB) ➔ VDI solid-state LO source➔ total IF bandwidth: 2x 2x 8 GHz = 32 GHz➔ PI FFTS4G spectrometer, 512k spectral channels➔ Fully remote controlled (frequency change within seconds)➔ Pathfinder for new mm-VLBI observing technologies➔ in operation since 12 / 2015

3D model and photoof the PI 230 receiver

PI 230 – a state-of-the-art receiver for mm-VLBI and spectroscopy

The new FLASH receiver The new FLASH receiver


A short history:

2005: Workhorse for the APEX commissioning, operatingin the 460 and 810 GHz atmospheric windowsSpectrometer: 2 x 1 GHz bandwidth (FFTS)

2010: With CAMP+ covering the 810 GHz science with 7 pixels,FLASH was downgraded to 345 and 460 GHzSpectrometer: 4 x 1,5 GHz (AFFTS)

2012: Upgraded with state-of-the-art 2SB ALMA mixers for the345 GHz and 460 GHz bands.Spectrometer: 8 x 2,5 GHz bandwidth (XFFTS)

2018: Upgrade with new IRAM (230 GHz) and ALMA band 8(460 GHz) 2SB mixers (facility mode).Additional 850 GHz band (PI mode).Spectrometer: 16 x 4 GHz bandwidth (dFFTS4G)

FLASH – a First Light APEX Submillimeter Heterodyne instrument

FLASH @ APEX, 2005

S. Heyminck, et al., A&A, 454 (2006)



new FLASH: facility mode new FLASH: PI mode

230 GHz band:

• VDI LO unit, tuning range: 200 – 270 GHz

• dual-polarization setup

• IRAM SIS 2SB mixer (PI230), IF bandwidth 4 – 12 GHz total IF bandwidth: 2x 2x 8 GHz = 32 GHz

• Receiver noise temperature: 50 – 60 K

460 GHz band:

• VDI LO unit, tuning range: 385 – 510 GHz


• ALMA band 8 SIS 2SB mixer, IF bandwidth 4 – 8 GHz total IF bandwidth: 2x 2x 4 GHz = 16 GHz

• Receiver noise temperature: 80 – 150 K

See Poster by Christopher Heiter !



new FLASH: PI mode

PI mode expansion 850 GHz band:

• broadband VDI hybrid LO unit, tuning range: 780 – 950 GHz


• ALMA band 9 mixer baseline: goal: (SRON cooperation) DSB 2SB IF bandwidth 4 – 8 GHz 4 – 12 GHz total IF bandwidth: 8 GHz 32 GHz

• Receiver temperature: 200 – 500 K 600 – 1000 K

PI 850 GHz

Optics Design

filter wheel

460 GHz

230 GHz

See Poster by Christopher Heiter !

Upgrade LAsMAUpgrade LAsMA


LAsMA – the Large APEX subMillimeter Array for the 345 GHz atmospheric window


➔ 7-pixel single polarization heterodyne array 7x 345 GHz with state-of-the-art IRAM 2SB mixers

➔ RF range: 270 – 370 GHz➔ Receiver noise temperature (SSB): 80 – 100K ➔ Side-band separation (IF: 4 – 8 GHz): > 15 dB➔ VDI solid-state LO ➔ K-mirror for image de-rotation➔ Frontend software for auto-tuning and remote control➔ in operation since 2016

➔ Upgrade work (April 2018):

➔ For now: IF bandwidth: 7x 2x 4 GHz = 56 GHz➔ Upgrade: replacement of the 4 – 8 GHz IF coupler by

new 4 – 12 GHz IF-coupler (> 15 dB) IF bandwidth: 7x 2x 8 GHz = 112 GHz

➔ Upgrade: FFTS4G spectrometer to process 112 GHz bandwidth with up to 1,8 million spectral channels

Top: 7x IRAM 2SB mixers

Left: LAsMA at APEX (2017)

LAsMA – the new THz channelLAsMA – the new THz channel



➔ Spin-off from our Herschel involvment (HIFI band 5 mixer, DSB) ➔ Co-aligned to the central pixel of LasMA for pointing reference ➔ RF range: 990 – 1050 GHz➔ Receiver noise temperature (DSB): 400 – 550 K➔ VDI solid-state LO source➔ IF bandwidth: 4 – 8 GHz➔ PI IF processor and FFT spectrometer

➔ Strong operation boundaries:- requires best weather conditions (PWV < 0.3 mm)- pointing requirements are demanding (main beam: 6'' only)- telescope surface must be very good (surface rms < 15 µm)

MPIfR PI 1.05 THz Receiver (2009) (A-cabin, PI position #2)

CHAMP+ (2007 - 2016)CHAMP+ (2007 - 2016)


CHAMP+ – dual color 2 x 7 pixel heterodyne arrayfor the 450 µm and 350 µm atmospheric windows

beam-path

first B-cabin mirror (M2)

elevation bearing

flat folding mirror

mirror M3

LO-unit

vacuum-vessel

sub-array modules

cooling-machine

lifter-mechanism

R. Güsten, et al., SPIE, 7020 (2008)

Technical specifications (2007 - 2016):

➔ Two 7-pixel sub-arrays:620 – 720 GHz and 780 – 950 GHz

➔ simultaneous observations possible➔ fixed tuned DSB SIS-mixers (SRON)➔ main optics cooled to 15K➔ quasi-optical LO-injection with

Martin-Puplett interferometer as Diplexer➔ SSB-filter for both sub-arrays (> 15 dB)➔ image de-rotator ➔ 2 GHz (2,8 GHz) IF-bandwidth per channel➔ in operation since 2007

Upgrade of CHAMP+Upgrade of CHAMP+


CHAMP+ withold LO unit (2015)

• Upgrade of both arrays with state-of-the-art SRON DSB mixers (2017)

• Replacement of the old LO unit by VDI solid-state LO sources, and elimination of the diplexers (2018) ( more IF bandwidth)→

• New frontend electronic and software (auto-tuning, remote control)

• Connect to LAsMA IF processor and spectrometer

LFA: HFA:

RF range [GHz] 620 – 710 775 – 855

TRx SSB [K] 250 – 400 600 – 1000

IF bandwidth [GHz] 7 x 4 GHz 7 x 4 GHz

CHAMP+ – dual color 2 x 7 pixel heterodyne arrayfor the 450 µm and 350 µm atmospheric windows

CHAMP+ with new VDI LO unit (2018)

A-MKID cameraA-MKID camera



➔ Dual color APEX direct detection camera:- LFA: 353 GHz ( 34 GHz HP width)- HFA: 865 GHZ (100 GHz HP width)

➔ Squared field of view: 15 x 15 arcmin² ➔ Pixel spacing: 1Fλ➔ Hexagonal arrangement➔ Number of Pixels:

- LFA: 3520 pixel- HFA: 21600 pixel

➔ Detectors operating with sensitivities dominatedby the sky background

➔ NEFD per pixel (goal):- LFA: 50 mJy s (0.3 – 1.0 mm PWV)- HFA: 1650 mJy s (0.3 – 0.5 mm PWV)

Present Status:

Due to insufficient sensitivities that could not be fixed at APEX, we decide to sent A-MKID back to Bonn for further investigations.A-MKID is currently being cooled down.Extensive laboratory tests are planned for the coming weeks.

A-MKID at laboratory tests in Bonn. (08. March 2018)

A-MKID – superconducting pair breaking detector

MPIfR 8 GHz IF processorMPIfR 8 GHz IF processor



➔ The new IF processor based on a modular approach.➔ Fully integrated circuit with amplifier, filter, mixer,

programmable attenuators, and total-power detectors.➔ Fully remote controlled by SCPI protocol.

➔ Input frequency: 1 x (4 – 12 GHz)

Output frequency: 2 x (0 – 4 GHz)

The new 8 GHz IF processor modules are designed for the latest version of our wide-band FFT spectrometer

Inside the 8 GHz IF modules LO input 12 GHz

LO input 8 GHz

out: 0 – 4 GHz (8 – 12 GHz part)

out: 0 – 4 GHz (4 – 8 GHz part)

IF input 4 – 12 GHz

MPIfR dFFTS4G spectrometerMPIfR dFFTS4G spectrometer



➔ Input bandwidth: 2 x 4 GHz (0 – 4 GHz)➔ Spectral channels: 2 x 64k ➔ Spectral resolution: 71 kHz (ENBW)➔ Power consumption: max. 70 W (~9 W / GHz)

Photo of the dFFTS4G spectrometer board

dFFTS4G

mpifr apex instrumentation...fully integrated circuit with amplifier, filter, mixer, programmable...

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