Optical/UV and X-Ray Microwave Kinetic Inductance Strip Detectors

Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) are superconducting detectors that sense the change in the surface impedance of a thin superconducting film when Cooper Pairs are broken by using a high quality factor resonant circuit. We are developing strip detectors that have aluminum MKID sensors on both ends of a rectangular tantalum strip. These devices can provide one dimensional spatial imaging with high quantum efficiency, energy resolution, and microsecond time resolution for single photons from the IR to the X-ray. We have demonstrated X-ray strip detectors with an energy resolution of 62 eV at 6 keV, and hope to improve this substantially. We will also report on our progress towards optical arrays for a planned camera for the Palomar 200″ telescope.