Silicon-based vacuum window for millimeter- and submillimeter-wave astrophysics

We designed, fabricated, and characterized the properties of a silicon-based vacuum window suitable for millimeter-wave astrophysical applications. The window, which has a diameter of 124 mm, an optically usable diameter of 68 mm, and a thickness of about 4 mm, gives an average transmittance and reflectance of 99.6±3.5% and 1.3±1.4%, respectively, a fractional bandwidth of 67%, centered at 300 GHz. Absorptive loss is below the detection limit of our measurement. The anti-reflection coating is made with laser-ablated sub-wavelength structures (SWS), and the measured transmittance and reflectance values agree with the modeling based on the measured SWS shapes. The window has been integrated into DESHIMA 2.0, an astrophysics instrument that took year-long observations with the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment.

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Publication Details

Journal
Applied Optics
Published
2026-04-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1364/ao.591873
Primary Topic
Superconducting and THz Device Technology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Silicon-based vacuum window for millimeter- and submillimeter-wave astrophysics

Kuniaki Konishi, Haruyuki Sakurai, Shaul Hanany, Scott Cray et al.
Applied Optics
Superconducting and THz Device Technology
article

Silicon-based vacuum window for millimeter- and submillimeter-wave astrophysics

Kuniaki Konishi, Haruyuki Sakurai, Shaul Hanany, Scott Cray, Kosuke Aizawa, Tomtoake Matsumura, Kenichi Karatsu, akira endo, Ryota Takaku, Jurgen Koch
article en

Abstract

We designed, fabricated, and characterized the properties of a silicon-based vacuum window suitable for millimeter-wave astrophysical applications. The window, which has a diameter of 124 mm, an optically usable diameter of 68 mm, and a thickness of about 4 mm, gives an average transmittance and reflectance of 99.6±3.5% and 1.3±1.4%, respectively, a fractional bandwidth of 67%, centered at 300 GHz. Absorptive loss is below the detection limit of our measurement. The anti-reflection coating is made with laser-ablated sub-wavelength structures (SWS), and the measured transmittance and reflectance values agree with the modeling based on the measured SWS shapes. The window has been integrated into DESHIMA 2.0, an astrophysics instrument that took year-long observations with the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment.

Applied OpticsVol. 65(14)
Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (JP), University of Minnesota System (US), Laboratoire des Matériaux Avancés (FR), Laser Zentrum Hannover (DE), Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (JP), Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (JP), Space Research Organisation Netherlands (NL), The University of Tokyo (JP), Delft University of Technology (NL)
European Commission, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 19%
Superconducting and THz Device Technology
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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Silicon-based vacuum window for millimeter- and submillimeter-wave astrophysics — Kuniaki Konishi, Haruyuki Sakurai, et al. · Applied Optics (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS