Single photon counting detectors: TRL advancement of delta-doped EMCCDs

As space missions are designed to push the boundaries of discovery, more stringent demands are placed on detectors. I will present the status and results from the characterization of our UV delta-doped Electron Multiplying CCDs (EMCCD) as an example of a detector with high potential to enable a greater science return. A custom coated, delta doped EMCCD provides a unique combination of architecture and delta-doping for single photon counting, high quantum efficiency, and UV sensitivity. This detector has been flown on a balloon-borne UV multi-object spectrograph, the Faint Intergalactic Redshifted Emission Balloon (FIREBall-2; FB-2) in September 2018, with another opportunity in the fall of 2020. FB-2 was the first instrument to fly this UV detector technology and has facilitated in proving the performance of delta-doped EMCCDs for future space missions and Technology Readiness Level (TRL) advancement. Part of this endeavor will be testing EMCCDs in a radiation environment.