Multiplexed readout of superconducting bolometers

Studies of emission in the far-infrared and submillimeter from astrophysica l sources require large arrays of detectors containing hundreds to thousand s of elements. A multiplexed readout is necessary for practical implementat ion of such arrays, and can be developed using SQUIDs, such that, e.g., a 3 2x32 array of bolometers can be read out using similar to 100 wires rather than the >2000 needed with a brute force expansion of existing arrays. Thes e bolometer arrays are made by micromachining techniques, using superconduc ting transition, edge sensors as the thermistors. We describe the developme nt of this multiplexed superconducting bolometer array architecture as a st ep toward bringing about the first astronomically useful arrays of this des ign. This technology will be used in the SAFIRE instrument on SOFIA, and is a candidate for a wide variety of other spectroscopic and photometric inst ruments.