A new superconducting camera with 400,000 pixels has been developed, providing unprecedented opportunities for low-noise, high-quality shooting in astronomy and quantum technologies. When studying weak heavenly objects, such as distant stars and exoplanets, fixing each photon is crucial for maximum scientific results. Cameras for such tasks require extremely low noise levels and the ability to capture the slightest amount of light, even single photons.
Previous superconducting cameras, while meeting the requirements of low noise and high sensitivity, were limited to small sizes with only several thousand pixels. This limitation hindered their ability to create high-quality images. However, a research group has made a breakthrough by creating a superconducting camera with 400,000 pixels, enabling the capture of weak astronomical signals across a wide spectrum from ultraviolet to infrared waves.
The camera with 400,000 pixels is built on superconducting nan pipelines-detectors of single photons. These cameras are ideal for astronomical missions due to their extremely low-noise operation, accurately capturing the amount of light without distorting data or introducing false signals. Superconducting detectors achieve this through their low-temperature operation and unique composition.
To overcome the limitations of small chambers, researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST), NASA (JPL), and the University of Colorado in Boulder collaborated to develop technology for two-dimensional arrays of detectors. These nan pipelines, arranged in intersecting rows and columns, allow the camera to effectively encode its numerous pixels on a few signal wires.
One of the most exciting capabilities of the new camera is its potential to search for Earth-like planets outside our solar system. Future space telescopes can use this camera to observe distant stars and search for faint signals indicating the presence of planets. Detecting and analyzing these signals require long exposures, making a reliable low-noise camera essential.
SNSPD-based cameras can also be used on Earth to detect optical communication signals for interplanetary missions. NASA is already utilizing this technology in the Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) project to transmit data from spacecraft to ground stations using SNSPD cameras.