Abstract
We show that the cosmic birefringence and miscalibrated polarization angles can be determined simultaneously by cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments using the cross-correlation ...between $E$- and $B$-mode polarization data. This is possible because the polarization angles of the CMB are rotated by both the cosmic birefringence and miscalibration effects, whereas those of the Galactic foreground emission are rotated only by the latter. Our method does not require prior knowledge of the $E$- and $B$-mode power spectra of the foreground emission, but uses only the knowledge of the CMB polarization spectra. Specifically, we relate the observed $EB$ correlation to the difference between the observed$E$- and $B$-mode spectra in the sky, and use different multipole dependences of the CMB (given by theory) and foreground spectra (given by data) to derive the likelihood for the miscalibration angle $\alpha$ and the birefringence angle $\beta$. We show that a future satellite mission similar to LiteBIRD can determine $\beta$ with a precision of 10 arcmin.
We present the thermal characteristics of a superconducting magnetic bearing (SMB) system that is designed for a polarization modulator of a cosmic microwave background polarization experiment. The ...SMB system consists of a ring-shaped magnet and an array of YBCO tiles. Both have an opening diameter of about 400 mm. The ring-shaped magnet is formed by an array of segmented magnets. The magnetic field inhomogeneity of this rotor magnet is originated from the magnetic field inhomogeneity of each magnet and the spatial gap between the segments. This inhomogeneity can contribute as a source of friction, and thus a source of heat in an operation at below 10 K. We estimate the heat dissipation from friction of the SMB by conducting the spin-down measurements, and we projected the heat dissipation of 2-20 mW from the hysteresis contribution depending on the levitation height. We discuss the consistency of the spin-down measurements to Bean's model between the magnetic field inhomogeneity and the hysteresis loss. We also discuss the potential temperature rise of the rotor magnet when it is levitating at the temperature at around 10 K. Thus, we address the means to estimate the rotor temperature by the physical contact to the rotor. The extrapolated temperature recovers the rotor temperature with the difference of less than 2 K without any correction.
•100 W ps-laser ablation of mm-wave subwavelength structures on alumina and sapphire.•Average ablation rate larger than 20 mm3/min on alumina and sapphire.•Order of magnitude increase in average ...ablation rate of alumina and sapphire.•Modeling of ultrashort-pulse laser ablation for fabricating pyramid structures.
We use a 1030 nm laser with 7 ps pulse duration and average power up to 100 W to ablate pyramid-shape subwavelength structures (SWS) on alumina and sapphire. The SWS give an effective and cryogenically robust anti-reflection coating in the millimeter-wave band. We demonstrate average ablation rate of up to 34 mm3/min and 20 mm3/min for structure heights of 900 μm and 750 μm on alumina and sapphire, respectively. These rates are a factor of 34 and 9 higher than reported previously on similar structures. We propose a model that relates structure height to cumulative laser fluence. The model depends on the absorption length δ, which is assumed to depend on peak fluence, and on the threshold fluence ϕth. Using a best-fit procedure we find an average δ=630 nm and 650 nm, and ϕth=2.0-0.5+0.5 J/cm2 and 2.3-0.1+0.1 J/cm2 for alumina and sapphire, respectively, for peak fluence values between 30 and 70 J/cm2. With the best fit values, the model and data values for cumulative fluence agree to within 10%. Given inputs for δ and ϕth the model is used to predict average ablation rates as a function of SWS height and average laser power.
The Simons Observatory (SO) experiment is a cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiment located in the Atacama Desert, Chile. The SO’s small aperture telescopes (SATs) consist of three telescopes ...designed for precise CMB polarimetry at large angular scales. Each SAT uses a cryogenic rotating half-wave plate (HWP) as a polarization modulator to mitigate atmospheric 1/
f
noise and other systematics. To realize efficient polarization modulation over the observation bands, we fabricated an achromatic HWP (AHWP) consisting of three sapphire plates with anti-reflection coatings. The AHWP is designed to have broadband modulation efficiency and transmittance. This paper reports on the design and the preliminary characterization of the AHWPs for SATs.
Abstract
We study the relationship between the levitation gap change and losses in a superconducting magnetic bearing (SMB) system. We develop a polarization modulator bearing for a cosmic microwave ...background (CMB) polarization experiment. The heat generated by the polarization modulator needs to be kept very low. Therefore, it is essential to model the effect of the levitation gap change of a rotor due to gravity on the rotational loss. We have constructed a prototype small experimental platform of an axial-flux SMB with an array of high-temperature superconductors, YBCO, and a permanent magnet ring. In this system, the weight of the rotor can be set. We measured the effect of the change in the levitation gap of the rotor due to gravity on the loss. When the levitation force was 5.5 N and 16.0 N, the losses generated in the rotor were 9.1 × 10
−3
W and 1.6 × 10
−2
W, respectively. It was confirmed that the loss increases with the increase in the levitation force of the SMB.