RADIOBLOCKS: New Science in radio astronomy. Applying cutting-edge technology to enhance the entire data chain from receivers to final output

New science in Radio Astronomy: applying cutting-edge technology to enhance the entire data chain, from receiver to final output Grant number: 101093934 RADIOBLOCKS Arpad Szomoru, JIVE RADIOBLOCKS Project Assistant on behalf of the RADIOBLOCKS collaboration New Science in radio astronomy Applying cutting-edge technology to enhance the entire data chain from receivers to final output New science in Radio Astronomy: applying cutting-edge technology to enhance the entire data chain, from receiver to final output Grant number: 101093934 RADIOBLOCKS Funded by the EC framework programme Horizon Europe 4 years: from 1st March 2023 to 28 Feb 2027 Budget from EC: 9M Euros Contribution from Associate Partners: 3M Euros 24 Beneficiaries of the EC grant 8 Associate Partners 32 partners from 13 countries including 2 IGOs (ESO and SKAO) Total effort: 1187 PM WP1 Management (JIVE) WP2 Novel Detectors and Components (IRAM) WP3 Digital Receivers (MPG) WP4 Data transport and correlation (ASTRON) WP5 Data processing tool kit for advanced radio astronomy (UMAN) [email protected]/10/2025 10th International VLBI Technology Workshop, Gothenburg New science in Radio Astronomy: applying cutting-edge technology to enhance the entire data chain, from receiver to final output Grant number: 101093934 building blocks to increase the science delivery potential of radio astronomical observatories BLOCKS RADIO key questions on science areas lead to tech requirements and solutions [email protected]/10/2025 10th International VLBI Technology Workshop, Gothenburg •Development of broad-band antenna/receiver systems •Higher recording bit-rate → Leap in sensitivity •Next generation correlators •More telescopes and wider frequency coverage •Wider field of view From science-driven requirements... •RFI: resilience & mitigation •Larger bandwidth •Sensitivity •FP Arrays (field of view & high precision astrometry) •Early digitisation (close to the frontend) •Correlation, transport & analysis ...to technical developments in radio astronomy Create common building blocks for technological solutions along the entire data chain from receivers to final output New science in Radio Astronomy: applying cutting-edge technology to enhance the entire data chain, from receiver to final output Grant number: 101093934 [email protected]/10/2025 10th International VLBI Technology Workshop, Gothenburg The signal chain Novel detectors and key components for future sensitive, wideband cm/mm-band receivers are developed in WP2. Integrating WP2 components into demonstrators of digital systems is the aim of WP3. The digital receivers to be developed and demonstrated in WP3 have all in common that they produce large volumes of data at high data rates, ready for further processing in WP4 and WP5. The data produced by new receiving systems (WP2 and WP3) are processed in WP4, which will define interface standards for the newly developed hardware. Transforming the raw correlator (WP4) output into science-ready images and spectral data cubes is a substantial and complex task, and is the domain of WP5. New science in Radio Astronomy: applying cutting-edge technology to enhance the entire data chain, from receiver to final output Grant number: 101093934 WP2: Development of key components for future sensitive, wideband receivers for European research infrastructures EVN, ALMA, NOEMA, IRAM-30m, and the SKA. DETECTORS Carsten Kramer (IRAM) [email protected]/10/2025 10th International VLBI Technology Workshop, Gothenburg Novel Detectors and Components This is the very first element in the signal chain, the hardware that physically captures the radio waves from space. Better front-end components are the most direct way to increase the fundamental sensitivity of a radio telescope Key Technologies: • Ultra-low-noise amplifiers to boost the faint signal without adding noise. • Advanced optical elements like lenses and horns to efficiently guide radio waves to the detector. • Wideband components like Orthomode Transducers (OMTs) that can handle a much larger range of frequencies simultaneously. New science in Radio Astronomy: applying cutting-edge technology to enhance the entire data chain, from receiver to final output Grant number: 101093934 WP2: DETECTORS [email protected]/10/2025 10th International VLBI Technology Workshop, Gothenburg RF windows, lenses, filters • Development of nearly reflection-less flat lenses over large bandwidths . Two approaches: meta-lenses, metallic patterns Orthomode-Transducers • Planar technology from 100 GHz to 650 GHz, separate polarizations, optimum pointing Horns • High performance corrugated horns, silicon micromachining: new technology for easier manufacturing • Design study, simulations, establish manufacturing process, different approaches, aim at integrated, compact horn-OMT structure for Focal Plane Arrays Metalens Metalens coupled NbN HEB mixer Silicon wafer with structured horn's slots; assembly of the gold plated silicon rings to form the horn; close view of the inside of the corrugated horn New science in Radio Astronomy: applying cutting-edge technology to enhance the entire data chain, from receiver to final output Grant number: 101093934 WP2: DETECTORS [email protected]/10/2025 10th International VLBI Technology Workshop, Gothenburg SIS mixers • Development Expanding RF and IF bandwidths, flexible design, exploring new materials LNAs • RF LNAs up to 150 GHz. IF LNAs: expanding bandwidth, exploring new technologies Local Oscillators • Increasing power and efficiency. Developing source at 346 GHz with doubler, design model, optimizations underway W-Band downconverter module • Block conversion of 67-116 GHz RF band with fixed LO. Tunable filters • band reject filters to suppress radio frequency interferences (RFI). Integration in the frontends before the LNAs. Micro-actuators. Dual-polarisation 220 GHz SIS junctions on-chip and improving RF bandwidths and noise performance. Simplifying design of SIS mixers for ALMA Band 5+6, especially for broad RF and IF bandwidths. New science in Radio Astronomy: applying cutting-edge technology to enhance the entire data chain, from receiver to final output Grant number: 101093934 WP3: Improvements on the technology areas of system temperature, bandwidth and field-of-view. RECEIVERS Gundolf Wieching (MPG) Wide-field astronomy •Novel Beamforming technology •PAF design and implementation •Demonstrators Wide-band astronomy •DBBC4 VLBI backend demonstrator •Broadband digitizer Multi-pixel astronomy via Focal Plane Arrays [email protected]/10/2025 10th International VLBI Technology Workshop, Gothenburg New science in Radio Astronomy: applying cutting-edge technology to enhance the entire data chain, from receiver to final output Grant number: 101093934 WP3: RECEIVERS [email protected]/10/2025 10th International VLBI Technology Workshop, Gothenburg Cryogenically Cooled Phased Array Feeds (cryoPAFs) Developing a "tool kit" for cryoPAFs, which cool the entire multi-element feed to reduce noise, combining sensitivity with a huge field of view. PAFs can increase a telescope's survey speed by nearly two orders of magnitude. This will revolutionize large-scale surveys with single-dish telescopes like the Effelsberg 100-m, enabling faster mapping of galactic magnetism and searches for pulsars. The DBBC4 - A Next-Generation VLBI Backend A demonstrator for a new standard in VLBI backends, designed for wide-band, multi-frequency science. It will even feature an AI component for real-time transient detection. The high data rates it can process are essential for achieving the sensitivity needed to study the aftermath of gravitational wave events and to create ultra-high-resolution images with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). DBBC4 A Next Generation VLBI Backend Demonstrator Fully funded by MPG (hardware) RADIOBLOCKS (1FTE for 3 years) New science in Radio Astronomy: applying cutting-edge technology to enhance the entire data chain, from receiver to final output Grant number: 101093934 https://www.radioblocks.eu/ Maximizing boost for the European major worldleading research infrastructures in radio astronomy Building blocks as new instruments to increase the science delivery potential of Europe’s major radio astronomical observatories. Enhancing competitiveness and technological excellence by developing instruments and tools for radio astronomy research infrastructures. Co-development with industrial partners Knowledge exchange between research infrastructures and industry. 32 partners – 4 years started on 1 March 2023 9M Euros from EC HE programme 3M Euros from non-EC partners BLOCKS RADIO building blocks to increase the science delivery potential of radio astronomical observatories