The Magnetic Microbolometer: A Proposal for QUBIC Next Gen

Abstract

In this paper, the proposal for a new multichroic pixel camera for the QUBIC instrument is presented, which aims to measure the B-mode polarization of the cosmic microwave background. The camera features antenna-coupled magnetic microbolometers (MMB) read out by a microwave SQUID multiplexer and software-defined radio-based room-temperature electronics, which are specifically optimized for MMB readout. The architecture of the detectors and their readout system is introduced, and the main design considerations are also discussed. The initial results of the simulation study suggest that MMBs are capable of achieving background-limited detection of the sky when used in an instrument like QUBIC. Additionally, the time response of these detectors appears to be sufficiently fast for the given telescope scan speed and beam size.