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Angular and Polarization Response of Multimode Sensors with Resistive-Grid AbsorbersHigh sensitivity receiver systems with near ideal polarization sensitivity are highly desirable for development of millimeter and sub-millimeter radio astronomy. Multimoded bolometers provide a unique solution to achieve such sensitivity, for which hundreds of single-mode sensors would otherwise be required. The primary concern in employing such multimoded sensors for polarimetery is the control of the polarization systematics. In this paper, we examine the angular- and polarization- dependent absorption pattern of a thin resistive grid or membrane, which models an absorber used for a multimoded bolometer. The result shows that a freestanding thin resistive absorber with a surface resistivity of eta/2, where eta is the impedance of free space, attains a beam pattern with equal E- and H-plane responses, leading to zero cross polarization. For a resistive-grid absorber, the condition is met when a pair of grids is positioned orthogonal to each other and both have a resistivity of eta/2. When a reflective backshort termination is employed to improve absorption efficiency, the cross-polar level can be suppressed below −30 dB if acceptance angle of the sensor is limited to < or approx. 60deg. The small cross-polar systematics have even-parity patterns and do not contaminate the measurements of odd-parity polarization patterns, for which many of recent instruments for cosmic microwave background are designed. Underlying symmetry that suppresses these cross-polar systematics is discussed in detail. The estimates and formalism provided in this paper offer key tools in the design consideration of the instruments using the multimoded polarimeters.
Document ID
20140013406
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Kusaka, Akito (Princeton Univ. Princeton, NJ, United States)
Wollack, Edward J. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Stevenson, Thomas R. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Date Acquired
November 6, 2014
Publication Date
January 10, 2014
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN16011
GSFC-E-DAA-TN12951
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
High sensitivity receiver systems
polarization systematics
odd-parity polarization patterns

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