Speaker
Description
Modern single-photon detector arrays make it possible to rethink the readout concept for stellar intensity interferometry (SII). While ultrafast single-photon detectors targeting a single spectral line are already being explored by several groups, a key step forward is the use of detector arrays with multiple independently read out channels, enabling simultaneous photon detection of a large number of different spectral lines. In this poster, we discuss the use of multi-pixel single-photon detectors for Hanbury Brown and Twiss measurements, with a particular focus on timing synchronization between the detector modules.
One such detector is the SPAD Lambda system, which provides 320 independent detection channels. When coupled to a spectrograph, different wavelengths are projected onto different pixels, allowing multiple spectral lines to be recorded in parallel.
A central technical challenge is the synchronization of different SPAD Lambda systems, as each system includes its own independent integrated time-to-digital converter. For this purpose, we employ a White Rabbit timing system referenced to a GPS signal, providing precise and stable time distribution for different detector modules even when separated by large distances allowing for large baseline SII.
The developed system will be deployed on sky with the MAST telescope array at the Weizmann Astrophysical Observatory in the Negev desert, Israel.
