A novel readout architecture that uses multiple non-destructive floating-gate amplifiers to achieve sub-electron readout noise in a thick, fully-depleted silicon detector is presented. This Multi-Amplifier Sensing Charge-Coupled Device (MAS-CCD) can perform multiple independent charge measurements with each amplifier; measurements with multiple amplifiers can then be combined to further reduce the readout noise. The readout speed of this detector scales roughly linearly with the number of amplifiers without requiring segmentation of the active area. The performance of this detector is demonstrated, emphasizing the ability to resolve individual quanta and the ability to combine measurements across amplifiers to reduce readout noise. The unprecedented low noise and fast readout of the MAS-CCD make it a unique technology for astronomical observations, quantum imaging, and low-energy interacting particles.
@article{arxiv.2308.09822,
title = {Fast Single-Quantum Measurement with a Multi-Amplifier Sensing Charge-Coupled Device},
author = {Ana M. Botti and Brenda A. Cervantes-Vergara and Claudio R. Chavez and Fernando Chierchie and Alex Drlica-Wagner and Juan Estrada and Guillermo Fernandez Moroni and Stephen E. Holland and Blas J. Irigoyen Gimenez and Agustin J. Lapi and Edgar Marrufo Villalpando and Miguel Sofo Haro and Javier Tiffenberg and Sho Uemura},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2308.09822},
year = {2024}
}