Systematics of an ambient-temperature, rapidly-rotating half-wave plate

T. Essinger-Hileman, A. Kusaka, J. W. Appel, P. Gallardo, K. D. Irwin, N. Jarosik, M. R. Nolta, L. A. Page, L. P. Parker, S. Raghunathan, J. L. Sievers, S. M. Simon, S. T. Staggs, K. Visnjic

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

In these proceedings, we summarize our in-field evaluation of temperature-to-polarization leakage associated with the use of a continuously-rotating, ambient-temperature half-wave plate (HWP) on the Atacama B-Mode Search (ABS) experiment. Using two seasons of data, we demonstrate scalar leakage of ~ 0.01%. This is consistent with model expectations and an order of magnitude better than any previously-reported leakage. We constrain higher-order dipole and quadrupole leakage terms to be < 0.06% (95% confidence). Without any mitigation from scan cross-linking or boresight rotation, this corresponds to an upper limit on systematic errors in the tensor-to-scalar ratio r ≤ 0.01. The HWP significantly reduces temperature-to-polarization leakage systematic errors for ABS and shows the promise of fast polarization modulation with HWPs for future experiments. Full details can be found in Ref. 1.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationMillimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII
EditorsJonas Zmuidzinas, Wayne S. Holland
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9781510602076
DOIs
StatePublished - 2016
EventMillimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Duration: Jun 28 2016Jul 1 2016

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume9914
ISSN (Print)0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)1996-756X

Other

OtherMillimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityEdinburgh
Period6/28/167/1/16

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Keywords

  • B-mode polarization
  • Cosmic microwave background (CMB)
  • Half-wave plates
  • Polarization modulators

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