Prototype NIST Detector for B-mode Polarization (IMAGE)

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Prototype NIST Detector for B-mode Polarization

Caption

Micrograph of a prototype NIST detector that will be used to seek B-mode polarization, the signature of the rapid inflation of the universe after the Big Bang. Cosmic radiation will be received by the arrow-shaped antennas in the middle of the detector. The antennas separate the radiation into two different polarization directions at a frequency of 145 gigahertz. (All light has two polarization directions.) Finally, the radiation for each polarization will be converted to heat by transition-edge sensors (top and right sides of the image), which precisely measure the energy using a superconducting metal that changes resistance in response to heat. The resulting data will be mapped to identify the polarization patterns.

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