The weakness of the B-mode signal requires even more complex and sensitive experiments than those designed to detect it so far. To address this challenge, the QUBIC collaboration has developed the innovative technological concept of bolometric interferometry. Bolometer comes from the Greek word for “light beam measurement.” These microsensors operate at very low temperatures. When they detect cosmic background radiation, they heat up, changing the electrical resistance of the material, allowing its detection in the form of an electric signal. Interferometry is used to obtain information about the wavelength of radiation. This new experimental technique allows for greater control of systematic errors, including the removal of galactic contaminants. The QUBIC project telescope consists of a cylindrical container, called a cryostat, measuring 1.8 m high by 1.6 m in diameter. It serves, among other things, to maintain the different detector systems at very low temperatures (close to -273°C), allowing them to capture the small temperature fluctuations produced by the cosmic background radiation. The cryostat and its mount are housed in a dome that opens for sky observation.

The ITeDA team working on QUBIC is responsible for the development and maintenance of the Observatory’s infrastructure, which includes site adaptation and power provision, the design and construction of the instrument housing building, the design and manufacture of a three-axis observation mount, the design and construction of a laboratory for instrument assembly and integration, the installation of the calibration tower, and the design and construction of the cable rotation system and the equipment necessary for the instrument’s rotation.

On the other hand, ITeDA is developing new sensors called Micro Magnetic Calorimeters (MMC) in collaboration with researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany for future instruments.