Receiver Technology Opening Terahertz Astronomy(Current Topics)

Abstract

We present superconducting receiver technologies which will allow us to conduct sensitive cosmic observations in the unexplored frequency region of the submillimeter and terahertz waves. The receiver will be implemented into the largest radio telescope in the human history, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), to achieve the highest resolution and sensitivity. The telescope, "eyes at radio wavelengths", will deliver new pictures of the unveiled universe, which are also reviewed briefly in this article.