Euclid preparation

LXXX. Overview of Euclid infrared detector performance from ground tests

¹ Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS/IN2P3, IP2I Lyon, UMR 5822, Villeurbanne 69100, France
² Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS/IN2P3, CPPM, Marseille, France
³ ESAC/ESA, Camino Bajo del Castillo, s/n., Urb. Villafranca del Castillo, 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
⁴ European Space Agency/ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands
⁵ European Space Agency/ESRIN, Largo Galileo Galilei 1, 00044 Frascati, Roma, Italy
⁶ Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales – Centre spatial de Toulouse, 18 avenue Edouard Belin, 31401 Toulouse Cedex 9, France
⁷ Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
⁸ NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
⁹ Carnegie Observatories, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA
¹⁰ Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
¹¹ Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstr. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
¹² Universitäts-Sternwarte München, Fakultät für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Scheinerstrasse 1, 81679 München, Germany
¹³ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Via dell’Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy
¹⁴ INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino, Via Osservatorio 20, 10025 Pino Torinese (TO), Italy
¹⁵ INFN-Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
¹⁶ INAF-Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Via Piero Gobetti 93/3, 40129 Bologna, Italy
¹⁷ Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
¹⁸ Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
¹⁹ Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, CNES, LAM, Marseille, France
²⁰ INFN-Bologna, Via Irnerio 46, 40126 Bologna, Italy
²¹ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Augusto Righi” – Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, via Piero Gobetti 93/2, 40129 Bologna, Italy
²² Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “G. Galilei”, Università di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
²³ Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Departamento de Electrónica y Tecnología de Computadoras, Plaza del Hospital 1, 30202 Cartagena, Spain
²⁴ INFN-Sezione di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy
²⁵ Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut d’astrophysique spatiale, 91405 Orsay, France
²⁶ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Via Brera 28, 20122 Milano, Italy
²⁷ IFPU, Institute for Fundamental Physics of the Universe, via Beirut 2, 34151 Trieste, Italy
²⁸ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, Via G. B. Tiepolo 11, 34143 Trieste, Italy
²⁹ INFN, Sezione di Trieste, Via Valerio 2, 34127 Trieste TS, Italy
³⁰ SISSA, International School for Advanced Studies, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste TS, Italy
³¹ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Bologna, Via Gobetti 93/2, 40129 Bologna, Italy
³² Institut de Physique Théorique, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
³³ Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095, CNRS, and Sorbonne Université, 98 bis boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris, France
³⁴ Space Science Data Center, Italian Space Agency, via del Politecnico snc, 00133 Roma, Italy
³⁵ Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy
³⁶ INFN-Sezione di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy
³⁷ Department of Physics “E. Pancini”, University Federico II, Via Cinthia 6, 80126 Napoli, Italy
³⁸ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Via Moiariello 16, 80131 Napoli, Italy
³⁹ Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade do Porto, CAUP, Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto, Portugal
⁴⁰ Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo de Alegre, 4150-007 Porto, Portugal
⁴¹ Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 1, 10125 Torino, Italy
⁴² INFN-Sezione di Torino, Via P. Giuria 1, 10125 Torino, Italy
⁴³ Institute Lorentz, Leiden University, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands
⁴⁴ INAF-IASF Milano, Via Alfonso Corti 12, 20133 Milano, Italy
⁴⁵ Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Avenida Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
⁴⁶ Port d’Informació Científica, Campus UAB, C. Albareda s/n, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
⁴⁷ Institute for Theoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology (TTK), RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany
⁴⁸ Institute of Space Sciences (ICE, CSIC), Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans, s/n, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
⁴⁹ Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC), Edifici RDIT, Campus UPC, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
⁵⁰ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Via Frascati 33, 00078 Monteporzio Catone, Italy
⁵¹ INFN section of Naples, Via Cinthia 6, 80126 Napoli, Italy
⁵² Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
⁵³ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Augusto Righi” – Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy
⁵⁴ Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Vía Láctea, 38205 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
⁵⁵ Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK
⁵⁶ Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
⁵⁷ Institut de Ciències del Cosmos (ICCUB), Universitat de Barcelona (IEEC-UB), Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
⁵⁸ Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
⁵⁹ UCB Lyon 1, CNRS/IN2P3, IUF, IP2I Lyon, 4 rue Enrico Fermi, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
⁶⁰ Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício C8, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
⁶¹ Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
⁶² Department of Astronomy, University of Geneva, ch. d’Ecogia 16, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
⁶³ INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, via del Fosso del Cavaliere, 100, 00100 Roma, Italy
⁶⁴ School of Physics, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK
⁶⁵ Dipartimento di Fisica “Aldo Pontremoli”, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano, Italy
⁶⁶ INFN-Sezione di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano, Italy
⁶⁷ Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, PO Box 1029 Blindern, 0315 Oslo, Norway
⁶⁸ Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, UK
⁶⁹ Felix Hormuth Engineering, Goethestr. 17, 69181 Leimen, Germany
⁷⁰ Technical University of Denmark, Elektrovej 327, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
⁷¹ Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN), Denmark
⁷² Department of Physics and Helsinki Institute of Physics, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
⁷³ Université de Genève, Département de Physique Théorique and Centre for Astroparticle Physics, 24 quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Genève 4, Switzerland
⁷⁴ Department of Physics, PO Box 64, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
⁷⁵ Helsinki Institute of Physics, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
⁷⁶ Centre de Calcul de 1’IN2P3/CNRS, 21 avenue Pierre de Coubertin 69627 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
⁷⁷ Laboratoire d’etude de l’Univers et des phenomenes eXtremes, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 92190 Meudon, France
⁷⁸ Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT, UK
⁷⁹ SKA Observatory, Jodrell Bank, Lower Withington, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 9FT, UK
⁸⁰ University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Northwestern Switzerland, School of Computer Science, 5210 Windisch, Switzerland
⁸¹ Universität Bonn, Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121 Bonn, Germany
⁸² INFN-Sezione di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, c/o Dipartimento di Fisica, Edificio G. Marconi, 00185 Roma, Italy
⁸³ Department of Physics, Institute for Computational Cosmology, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
⁸⁴ Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire Lagrange, Bd de l’Observatoire, CS 34229, 06304 Nice cedex 4, France
⁸⁵ Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Astroparticule et Cosmologie, 75013 Paris, France
⁸⁶ CNRS-UCB International Research Laboratory, Centre Pierre Binétruy, IRL2007, CPB-IN2P3, Berkeley, USA
⁸⁷ University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Northwestern Switzerland, School of Engineering, 5210 Windisch, Switzerland
⁸⁸ Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, 98bis Boulevard Arago, 75014, Paris, France
⁸⁹ Institute of Physics, Laboratory of Astrophysics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Observatoire de Sauverny, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
⁹⁰ Aurora Technology for European Space Agency (ESA), Camino bajo del Castillo, s/n, Urbanizacion Villafranca del Castillo, Villanueva de la Cañada, 28692 Madrid, Spain
⁹¹ California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
⁹² Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
⁹³ School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK
⁹⁴ DARK, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 155, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
⁹⁵ Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
⁹⁶ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
⁹⁷ Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5, Canada
⁹⁸ Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité, CEA, CNRS, AIM, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
⁹⁹ Institute of Space Science, Str. Atomistilor, nr. 409 Măgurele, Ilfov 077125, Romania
¹⁰⁰ Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Calle Serrano 117, 28006 Madrid, Spain
¹⁰¹ Universidad de La Laguna, Departamento de Astrofísica, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
¹⁰² Institut für Theoretische Physik, University of Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 16, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
¹⁰³ Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, CNES, 14 Av. Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
¹⁰⁴ Université St Joseph, Faculty of Sciences, Beirut, Lebanon
¹⁰⁵ Departamento de Física, FCFM, Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2008, Santiago, Chile
¹⁰⁶ Universität Innsbruck, Institut für Astro- und Teilchenphysik, Technikerstr. 25/8, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
¹⁰⁷ Satlantis, University Science Park, Sede Bld 48940, Leioa-Bilbao, Spain
¹⁰⁸ Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
¹⁰⁹ Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-018 Lisboa, Portugal
¹¹⁰ Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)
¹¹¹ Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 128, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
¹¹² Centre for Information Technology, University of Groningen, PO Box 11044, 9700 CA Groningen, The Netherlands
¹¹³ Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Via Giuseppe Saragat 1, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
¹¹⁴ Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Ferrara, Via Giuseppe Saragat 1, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
¹¹⁵ INAF, Istituto di Radioastronomia, Via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
¹¹⁶ Department of Physics, Oxford University, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK
¹¹⁷ INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, via Emilio Bianchi 46, 23807 Merate, Italy
¹¹⁸ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Via Brera 28, 20122 Milano Italy, and INFN-Sezione di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy
¹¹⁹ ICL, Junia, Université Catholique de Lille, LITL, 59000 Lille, France
¹²⁰ ICSC – Centro Nazionale di Ricerca in High Performance Computing, Big Data e Quantum Computing, Via Magnanelli 2, Bologna, Italy
¹²¹ Instituto de Física Teórica UAM-CSIC, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
¹²² CERCA/ISO, Department of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
¹²³ Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Physics Department, James-Franck-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
¹²⁴ Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
¹²⁵ Laboratoire Univers et Théorie, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 92190 Meudon, France
¹²⁶ Departamento de Física Fundamental. Universidad de Salamanca. Plaza de la Merced s/n, 37008 Salamanca, Spain
¹²⁷ Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg, UMR 7550, 67000 Strasbourg, France
¹²⁸ Center for Data-Driven Discovery, Kavli IPMU (WPI), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8583, Japan
¹²⁹ Dipartimento di Fisica – Sezione di Astronomia, Università di Trieste, Via Tiepolo 11, 34131 Trieste, Italy
¹³⁰ University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1562, USA
¹³¹ Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
¹³² Department of Mathematics and Physics E. De Giorgi, University of Salento, Via per Arnesano, CP-I93, 73100 Lecce, Italy
¹³³ INFN, Sezione di Lecce, Via per Arnesano, CP-193, 73100 Lecce, Italy
¹³⁴ INAF-Sezione di Lecce, c/o Dipartimento Matematica e Fisica, Via per Arnesano, 73100 Lecce, Italy
¹³⁵ Departamento Física Aplicada, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Campus Muralla del Mar, 30202 Cartagena, Murcia, Spain
¹³⁶ Instituto de Física de Cantabria, Edificio Juan Jordá, Avenida de los Castros, 39005 Santander, Spain
¹³⁷ Observatorio Nacional, Rua General Jose Cristino, 77-Bairro Imperial de Sao Cristovao, Rio de Janeiro 20921-400, Brazil
¹³⁸ CEA Saclay, DFR/IRFU, Service d’Astrophysique, Bat. 709, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
¹³⁹ Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 3FX, UK
¹⁴⁰ Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, PO Box 15400, Espoo 00 076, Finland
¹⁴¹ Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, c/ Via Lactea s/n, La Laguna 38200, Spain. Departamento de Astrofísica de la Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Francisco Sanchez, La Laguna 38200, Spain
¹⁴² Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Astronomical Institute (AIRUB), German Centre for Cosmological Lensing (GCCL), 44780 Bochum, Germany
¹⁴³ Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vesilinnantie 5, 20014 University of Turku, Finland
¹⁴⁴ Serco for European Space Agency (ESA), Camino bajo del Castillo, s/n, Urbanizacion Villafranca del Castillo, Villanueva de la Cañada, 28692 Madrid, Spain
¹⁴⁵ ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics, Melbourne, Australia
¹⁴⁶ Centre for Astrophysics & Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia
¹⁴⁷ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
¹⁴⁸ DAMTP, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK
¹⁴⁹ Kavli Institute for Cosmology Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HA, UK
¹⁵⁰ Department of Astrophysics, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
¹⁵¹ Department of Physics, Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
¹⁵² IRFU, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
¹⁵³ Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmoparticle Physics, Department of Physics, Stockholm University, Stockholm S106 91, Sweden
¹⁵⁴ Astrophysics Group, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
¹⁵⁵ Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LPSC-IN2P3, 53, Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
¹⁵⁶ INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy
¹⁵⁷ Dipartimento di Fisica, Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Roma, Italy
¹⁵⁸ Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto, Rua das Estrelas 4150-762 Porto, Portugal
¹⁵⁹ HE Space for European Space Agency (ESA), Camino bajo del Castillo, s/n, Urbanizacion Villafranca del Castillo, Villanueva de la Cañada, 28692 Madrid, Spain
¹⁶⁰ Theoretical astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, 751 37 Uppsala, Sweden
¹⁶¹ Mathematical Institute, University of Leiden, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands
¹⁶² Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK
¹⁶³ Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Peyton Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
¹⁶⁴ Space physics and astronomy research unit, University of Oulu, Pentti Kaiteran katu 1, 90014 Oulu, Finland
¹⁶⁵ Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute, 162 5th Avenue, 10010, New York, NY, USA
¹⁶⁶ Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA

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Received: 2 June 2025
Accepted: 6 October 2025

Abstract

This paper describes the objectives, design, and findings of the pre-launch ground characterisation campaigns of the Euclid infrared detectors. The aim of the ground characterisations is to evaluate the performance of the detectors, to calibrate the pixel response, and to derive the pixel response correction methods. The detectors have been tested and characterised in the facilities set up for this purpose. The pixel properties, including baseline, bad pixels, quantum efficiency, inter pixel capacitance, quantum efficiency, dark current, readout noise, conversion gain, response non-linearity, and image persistence were measured and characterised for each pixel. We describe in detail the test flow definition that allows us to derive the pixel properties and we present the data acquisition and data quality check software implemented for this purpose. We also outline the measurement protocols of all the pixel properties presented and we provide a comprehensive overview of the performance of the Euclid infrared detectors as derived after tuning the operating parameters of the detectors. The main conclusion of this work is that the performance of the infrared detectors Euclid meets the requirements. Pixels classified as non-functioning accounted for less than 0.2% of all science pixels. The interpixel capacitance (IPC) coupling is minimal, the cross-talk between adjacent pixels is less than 1% between adjacent pixels, and 95% of the pixels show a quantum efficienty (QE) greater than 80% across the entire spectral range of the Euclid mission. The conversion gain is approximately 0.52 ADU/e⁻, with a variation of less than 1% between channels of the same detector. The reset noise is approximately equal to 23 ADU rms after reference pixel correction. The readout noise of a single frame is approximately 13 e⁻ rms while the signal estimator noise is measured at 7 e⁻ rms in photometric mode and 9 e⁻ rms in spectroscopic acquisition mode. The deviation from linear response at signal levels up to 80 ke⁻ is less than 5% for 95% of the pixels. Median persistence amplitudes are less than 0.3% of the signal, though persistence exhibits significant spatial variation and differences between detectors.