Ricerc@Sapienza

We describe the development of a W-band lumped element kinetic inductance detector array for application in large ground-based telescopes, like the Sardinia radio telescope. Based on the previous studies, we use a Ti/Al bi-layer film (10 nm thick Ti + 25 nm thick Al) for the resonators, to cover frequencies greater than 65 GHz. Optical simulations have been performed using ANSYS HFSS software suite, to optimize the absorber geometry, the illumination configuration, and the thickness of the dielectric substrate.

We describe the in-flight performance of the horn-coupled Lumped Element Kinetic Inductance Detector arrays of the balloon-borne OLIMPO experiment. These arrays have been designed to match the spectral bands of OLIMPO: 150, 250, 350, and 460 GHz, and they have been operated at 0.3 K and at an altitude of 37.8 km during the stratospheric flight of the OLIMPO payload, in Summer 2018.