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Dr Tom Brien
Research Fellow
Astronomy Instrumentation Group
Cardiff Hub for Astrophysics Research and Technology
Overview
My research is based on developing the next generation of astronomical instrumentation for use in the sub-millimetre and far infrared regimes. I concentrate on the development of hyper-sensitive, high-pixel count detector arrays using the LEKID architecture and also the design and commissioning of the sub-Kelvin cryogenic cooling platforms that are required for these detectors.
I am the cryogenic development lead for the MUSCAT instrument on the Large Millimeter Telescope in Mexico. The bespoke cooling system of MUSCAT, developed in close partnership with commercial partners, utilises novel continuously operating helium sorption fridges combined with a miniature dilution fridge to provide a detector-stage temperature of 100 mK (-273.05°C, 0.1°C above absolute zero). A unique feature of this system is that, compared to similar systems, MUSCAT uses very little helium-3 which is scarce and expensive.
The detectors I develop have applications in studying the light from other galaxies, helping to understand for stars form and study the cosmic microwave background (a remnant of the Big Bang).
Publication
2024
- Woodhead, C., Becerril Tapia, M., Dunscombe, C., Brien, T., Baghoria, M., Doyle, S. and Hargrave, P. 2024. Design and commissioning of a UHV sputter system for the fabrication of superconducting TiN KID’s using High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering. Presented at: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2024, Yokohama, Japan, 16 - 21 June 2024 Presented at Zmuidzinas, J. and Gao, J. eds.Proceedings Volume PC13102, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy XII. SPIE, (10.1117/12.3019852)
2023
- Cuenca, J. A. et al. 2023. Superconducting boron doped nanocrystalline diamond microwave coplanar resonator. Carbon 201, pp. 251-259. (10.1016/j.carbon.2022.08.084)
2022
- Gascard, T. et al. 2022. Pixel design for FIR/mm/submm astronomy constituted of a set of antenna-coupled superconducting detectors feeding a metamaterial-based lenslet. Presented at: Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy XI, Montreal, Canada, 17-23 July 2022Proceedings Volume 12190 Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy XI, Vol. 12190. SPIE, (10.1117/12.2627848)
2021
- Brien, T. L. R. et al. 2021. Performance and deployment status of MUSCAT: a 1500-pixel LEKID-based mm-wave camera for the large millimeter telescope. Presented at: 45th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz), Buffalo, USA, 8-13 Nov 202045th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz). , (10.1109/IRMMW-THz46771.2020.9370760)
2020
- Brien, T. et al. 2020. Pre-deployment verification and predicted mapping speed of MUSCAT. Presented at: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2020, Virtual, 14-18 December 2020Proceedings Volume 11453, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy X, Vol. 11453. SPIE pp. 1145303., (10.1117/12.2561305)
- Gómez-Rivera, V. et al. 2020. Design and characterization of the MUSCAT detectors. Presented at: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2020, Virtual, 14-18 December 2020Proceedings Volume 11453, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy X, Vol. 11453. SPIE pp. 114531Q., (10.1117/12.2576334)
- Tapia, M. et al. 2020. MUSCAT focal plane verification. Presented at: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2020, Virtual, 14-18 December 2020Proceedings Volume 11453, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy X;, Vol. 11453. SPIE pp. 1145309., (10.1117/12.2576219)
2019
- Chase, S. T., Brien, T. L. R., Doyle, S. M. and Kenny, L. C. 2019. Pre-cooling a 3He/4He dilutor module with a sealed closed-cycle continuous cooler. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering 502, article number: 12134. (10.1088/1757-899X/502/1/012134)
2018
- Brien, T. L. R., Castillo-Dominguez, E., Chase, S. and Doyle, S. M. 2018. A continuous 100-mK helium-light cooling system for MUSCAT on the LMT. Journal of Low Temperature Physics 193(5-6), pp. 805-812. (10.1007/s10909-018-2024-y)
- Castillo, E. et al. 2018. Mexico-UK sub-millimeter camera for astronomy. Journal of Low Temperature Physics 193(5-6), pp. 1010-1015. (10.1007/s10909-018-2018-9)
- Morozov, D. et al. 2018. Design and characterisation of titanium nitride subarrays of kinetic inductance detectors for passive terahertz imaging. Journal of Low Temperature Physics 193(3-4), pp. 196-202. (10.1007/s10909-018-2023-z)
- Brien, T. et al. 2018. MUSCAT: The Mexico-UK Sub-Millimetre Camera for AsTronomy. Presented at: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2018, Austin, TX, USA, 10-15 June 2018 Presented at Zmuidzinas, J. and Gao, J. eds.Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy IX, Vol. 10708. SPIE, (10.1117/12.2313697)
2016
- Brien, T. L. et al. 2016. A cryogenic testbed for the characterisation of large detector arrays for astronomical and Earth-observing applications in the near to very-long-wavelength infrared. Presented at: Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, Edinburgh, 26 June - 1 July 2016Proc. SPIE 9904, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, Vol. 99045H. Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), (10.1117/12.2234403)
- Brien, T. et al. 2016. Optical response of strained- and unstrained-silicon cold-electron bolometers. Journal of Low Temperature Physics 184, pp. 231-237. (10.1007/s10909-016-1569-x)
- Rowe, S. et al. 2016. A passive terahertz video camera based on lumped element kinetic inductance detectors. Review of Scientific Instruments 87(3), article number: 33105. (10.1063/1.4941661)
2015
- Brien, T. 2015. The silicon cold-electron bolometer. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University and Warwick University.
- Brien, T. et al. 2015. Optical characterisation of a strained-silicon cold-electron bolometer at 160 GHz. Presented at: 2015 8th UK, Europe, China Millimeter Waves and THz Technology Workshop (UCMMT), Cardiff, UK, 14-15 Sept. 2015http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/mostRecentIssue.jsp?punumber=7455173. pp. 1-4., (10.1109/UCMMT.2015.7460630)
2014
- Brien, T. L. et al. 2014. A strained silicon cold electron bolometer using Schottky contacts. Applied Physics Letters 105, article number: 43509. (10.1063/1.4892069)
2013
- Whall, T. E. et al. 2013. Cooltronics: a new low-temperature tunneling technology based on silicon. Presented at: 4th International Conference on Ultimate Integration on Silicon, Coventry, UK, 19-21 March 2013ULIS, 2013: 14th International Conference on Ultimate Integration on Silicon, University of Warwick, 19th-21st March, 2013. Piscataway, N.J.: IEEE pp. 1-4., (10.1109/ULIS.2013.6523477)
Cynadleddau
- Woodhead, C., Becerril Tapia, M., Dunscombe, C., Brien, T., Baghoria, M., Doyle, S. and Hargrave, P. 2024. Design and commissioning of a UHV sputter system for the fabrication of superconducting TiN KID’s using High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering. Presented at: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2024, Yokohama, Japan, 16 - 21 June 2024 Presented at Zmuidzinas, J. and Gao, J. eds.Proceedings Volume PC13102, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy XII. SPIE, (10.1117/12.3019852)
- Gascard, T. et al. 2022. Pixel design for FIR/mm/submm astronomy constituted of a set of antenna-coupled superconducting detectors feeding a metamaterial-based lenslet. Presented at: Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy XI, Montreal, Canada, 17-23 July 2022Proceedings Volume 12190 Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy XI, Vol. 12190. SPIE, (10.1117/12.2627848)
- Brien, T. L. R. et al. 2021. Performance and deployment status of MUSCAT: a 1500-pixel LEKID-based mm-wave camera for the large millimeter telescope. Presented at: 45th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz), Buffalo, USA, 8-13 Nov 202045th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz). , (10.1109/IRMMW-THz46771.2020.9370760)
- Brien, T. et al. 2020. Pre-deployment verification and predicted mapping speed of MUSCAT. Presented at: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2020, Virtual, 14-18 December 2020Proceedings Volume 11453, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy X, Vol. 11453. SPIE pp. 1145303., (10.1117/12.2561305)
- Gómez-Rivera, V. et al. 2020. Design and characterization of the MUSCAT detectors. Presented at: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2020, Virtual, 14-18 December 2020Proceedings Volume 11453, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy X, Vol. 11453. SPIE pp. 114531Q., (10.1117/12.2576334)
- Tapia, M. et al. 2020. MUSCAT focal plane verification. Presented at: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2020, Virtual, 14-18 December 2020Proceedings Volume 11453, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy X;, Vol. 11453. SPIE pp. 1145309., (10.1117/12.2576219)
- Brien, T. et al. 2018. MUSCAT: The Mexico-UK Sub-Millimetre Camera for AsTronomy. Presented at: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2018, Austin, TX, USA, 10-15 June 2018 Presented at Zmuidzinas, J. and Gao, J. eds.Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy IX, Vol. 10708. SPIE, (10.1117/12.2313697)
- Brien, T. L. et al. 2016. A cryogenic testbed for the characterisation of large detector arrays for astronomical and Earth-observing applications in the near to very-long-wavelength infrared. Presented at: Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, Edinburgh, 26 June - 1 July 2016Proc. SPIE 9904, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, Vol. 99045H. Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), (10.1117/12.2234403)
- Brien, T. et al. 2015. Optical characterisation of a strained-silicon cold-electron bolometer at 160 GHz. Presented at: 2015 8th UK, Europe, China Millimeter Waves and THz Technology Workshop (UCMMT), Cardiff, UK, 14-15 Sept. 2015http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/mostRecentIssue.jsp?punumber=7455173. pp. 1-4., (10.1109/UCMMT.2015.7460630)
- Whall, T. E. et al. 2013. Cooltronics: a new low-temperature tunneling technology based on silicon. Presented at: 4th International Conference on Ultimate Integration on Silicon, Coventry, UK, 19-21 March 2013ULIS, 2013: 14th International Conference on Ultimate Integration on Silicon, University of Warwick, 19th-21st March, 2013. Piscataway, N.J.: IEEE pp. 1-4., (10.1109/ULIS.2013.6523477)
Erthyglau
- Cuenca, J. A. et al. 2023. Superconducting boron doped nanocrystalline diamond microwave coplanar resonator. Carbon 201, pp. 251-259. (10.1016/j.carbon.2022.08.084)
- Chase, S. T., Brien, T. L. R., Doyle, S. M. and Kenny, L. C. 2019. Pre-cooling a 3He/4He dilutor module with a sealed closed-cycle continuous cooler. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering 502, article number: 12134. (10.1088/1757-899X/502/1/012134)
- Brien, T. L. R., Castillo-Dominguez, E., Chase, S. and Doyle, S. M. 2018. A continuous 100-mK helium-light cooling system for MUSCAT on the LMT. Journal of Low Temperature Physics 193(5-6), pp. 805-812. (10.1007/s10909-018-2024-y)
- Castillo, E. et al. 2018. Mexico-UK sub-millimeter camera for astronomy. Journal of Low Temperature Physics 193(5-6), pp. 1010-1015. (10.1007/s10909-018-2018-9)
- Morozov, D. et al. 2018. Design and characterisation of titanium nitride subarrays of kinetic inductance detectors for passive terahertz imaging. Journal of Low Temperature Physics 193(3-4), pp. 196-202. (10.1007/s10909-018-2023-z)
- Brien, T. et al. 2016. Optical response of strained- and unstrained-silicon cold-electron bolometers. Journal of Low Temperature Physics 184, pp. 231-237. (10.1007/s10909-016-1569-x)
- Rowe, S. et al. 2016. A passive terahertz video camera based on lumped element kinetic inductance detectors. Review of Scientific Instruments 87(3), article number: 33105. (10.1063/1.4941661)
- Brien, T. L. et al. 2014. A strained silicon cold electron bolometer using Schottky contacts. Applied Physics Letters 105, article number: 43509. (10.1063/1.4892069)
Gosodiad
- Brien, T. 2015. The silicon cold-electron bolometer. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University and Warwick University.
Biography
2006-2010 - MPhys, Physcics, Cardff University
2011-2015 - PhD, Astrophysics & Engineering, Cardiff University
2015-Present - Post Doctoral Research Associate, Astronomical Instrumentation Group, Cardiff Unviersity
Contact Details
BrienT@cardiff.ac.uk
+44 29208 76269
Queen's Buildings - North Building, Room N/0.44, 5 The Parade, Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 3AA
+44 29208 76269
Queen's Buildings - North Building, Room N/0.44, 5 The Parade, Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 3AA