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This thesis represents a breakthrough in our understanding of the noise processes in Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs). While the detection of ultraviolet to near-infrared light is useful for a variety of applications from dark matter searches to biological imaging and astronomy, the performance of these detectors often limits the achievable science. The author's work explains the limits on spectral resolution broadening, and uses this knowledge to more than double the world record spectral resolution for an MKID suitable for optical and near-IR astrophysics, with emphasis on developing detectors for exoplanet detection. The techniques developed have implication for phonon control in many different devices, particularly in limiting cosmic ray-induced decoherence in superconducting qubits. In addition, this thesis is highly accessible, with a thorough, pedagogical approach that will benefit generations of students in this area.
List of contents
Chapter 1. Introduction and Motivation.- Chapter 2. MKID Physics.- Chapter 3. Data Analysis.- Chapter 4. Sensor Materials.- Chapter 5. Detector and Readout Noise.- Chapter 6. Solving the Phonon Problem.- Chapter 7. Conclusions.
About the author
Nicholas Zobrist's professional experience spans a wide range of low temperature physics from dark matter detection to quantum limited amplification. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara in June 2022. At Santa Barbara, Nicholas worked on the design and development of superconducting sensors for astrophysical measurements, specifically for measuring the properties of planets orbiting other stars. Instruments that he's contributed to in this vein have been deployed at Palomar Observatory and the Subaru telescope on Mauna Kea. Additionally, in 2017 he was awarded a NASA fellowship for improving the energy resolution of these devices.
