Aula Marchetti
Host: Federico Nati
Speaker: Yaqiong Li, Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP), Chinese Academy of Science, BeijingTitle:The Ali Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization Telescope (AliCPT)Abstract:The discovery and precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) have laid the cornerstone of modern cosmology, establishing the hot big bang model and enabling precision tests of the early universe. The Ali Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization Telescope (AliCPT), located at an altitude of 5,250 m on the Tibetan Plateau, aims to detect primordial gravitational waves through high‑sensitivity measurements of CMB polarization. A distinctive feature of AliCPT is its focus on the northern sky, which remains largely unexplored by previous generation CMB polarization experiments, thereby offering a unique opportunity to cross‑validate foreground models and constrain inflationary B‑modes from a new observing window.In this talk, I will present the latest advances in AliCPT, focusing on the deployment of its first detector module and recent instrumentation developments for CMB research in China. Key highlights include the successful deployment and in‑situ performance of AliCPT1, which has demonstrated stable operation under the harsh high‑altitude environment. I will also discuss ongoing efforts in developing large‑format superconducting detector arrays based on transition‑edge sensors (TES), an RFSoC‑based warm readout system that enables high‑bandwidth, low‑latency data acquisition, and a new low band CMB telescope (AliCPT-40G) that will be deployed in the following year. These instrumental advances collectively position AliCPT as a major new player in the global quest for primordial gravitational waves.
When and where: April 13th 2026, h 14:30, Aula Marchetti (U1) Bio of the speaker:Yaqiong Li earned her Ph.D. from Princeton University in 2020. From 2020 to 2023, she conducted postdoctoral research at the Kavli Institute, Cornell University. At the end of 2023, she returned to China and joined the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, as an associate professor.
Her long-term research focuses on the development of focal planes for Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) telescopes and the analysis of observational data. She specializes in superconducting detector module packaging, testing, signal modulation techniques, and transient source analysis. Since 2014, she has contributed to cutting-edge international CMB projects—such as ACT (Atacama Cosmology Telescope), SO (Simons Observatory), and FYST/CCAT—by developing high-performance cryogenic superconducting detector modules. Currently, she is leading efforts in the deployment of AliCPt1 and independent development of detector arrays for the AliCPT (Ali Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization Telescope) project.