Analog Readout for Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector Arrays

Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors are low temperature detectors that uses superconducting material such as titanium nitride in a high quality microwave resonant circuit to detect photons. The energy of the photon is measured through its effect on the kinetic inductance of the circuit. Specifically, the photon induces a phase shift in the electrical signal of the circuit, in which the phase is proportional to the energy. The project of building a analog readout is to allow our lab to have a flexible and robust readout that it can be transported to telescopes in various locations, such as the Subaru telescope in Hawaii.