UC Berkeley

Precision measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization anisotropies provide a powerful probe into the history and contents of the universe. Detection of degree-scale, odd parity B-modes polarization signal imparted from a stochastic gravitational wave background of the primordial universe would strongly confirm the theory of cosmic inflation. This requires a telescope which observes the sky with high sensitivity and optical fidelity over a broad frequency spectrum for foreground contamination removal. Simons Array is a new telescope array in the Atacama Desert of Chile, designed for simultaneous sensitivity to the large-scale primordial B-mode signal and the small-scale B-mode signal from gravitational lensing of the CMB by large-scale structure.

This thesis presents the development of the cryogenic optics of the Simons Array cameras and a new anti-reflection (AR) coating technology for precision CMB polarimetry. An overview of Big Bang cosmology and the CMB is first given as scientific motivation. Then a brief description of the basic principles of telescope optics is given as a background to the following discussion on Simons Array optics and AR coatings. Next, the development and validation of the Simons Array optics tubes, the sub-component of the camera which houses the optical components, are described. Finally, the developments and fabrication processes of AR coating technologies utilized by Simons Array and other experiments for CMB observation are discussed.