Superconducting Detector Arrays for Far-Infrared to mm-Wave Astrophysics

Detector technology will determine what is scientifically possible in far-infrared and millimeter-wave astrophysics in the next decade. Focal planes with large, background-limited detector arrays will be the enabling capability for studies of inflation via CMB polarization, the evolution of large-scale structure via CMB lensing and SZ surveys, the formation and evolution of galaxies, the early stages of star formation, and the development of accretion and debris disks in stellar systems. These ambitious goals are the centerpieces of both space-borne and ground-based programs seeking to harness the ongoing revolution in long wavelength detector technology, with both pixel sensitivity and array format doubling roughly every two years. Much of this progress is due to the emergence of new superconducting detector and multiplexer concepts. Superconducting detectors also have scientific applications in X-ray astronomy, optical-UV astronomy, and dark matter detection, with numerous examples of technical cross-fertilization. Successful continued development of these technologies relies on a small community of scientists and technologists who are also actively engaged in deploying and demonstrating these technologies in astrophysics projects and instruments.