We present the first discoveries from a survey of z \gtrsim 6 quasars using imaging data from the DECam Legacy Survey ( DECaLS ) in the optical , the UKIRT Deep Infrared Sky Survey ( UKIDSS ) and a preliminary version of the UKIRT Hemisphere Survey ( UHS ) in the near-IR , and ALLWISE in the mid-IR .
DECaLS will image 9000 deg ^ { 2 } of sky down to z _ { AB } \sim 23.0 , and UKIDSS and UHS , which will map the northern sky at 0 < DEC < +60 ^ { \circ } , reaching J _ { VEGA } \sim 19.6 ( 5- \sigma ) .
The combination of these datasets allows us to discover quasars at redshift z \gtrsim 7 and to conduct a complete census of the faint quasar population at z \gtrsim 6 .
In this paper , we report on the selection method of our search , and on the initial discoveries of two new , faint z \gtrsim 6 quasars and one new z = 6.63 quasar in our pilot spectroscopic observations .
The two new z \sim 6 quasars are at z = 6.07 and z = 6.17 with absolute magnitudes at rest-frame wavelength 1450 Å being M _ { 1450 } = -25.83 and M _ { 1450 } = -25.76 , respectively .
These discoveries suggest that we can find quasars close to or fainter than the break magnitude of the Quasar Luminosity Function ( QLF ) at z \gtrsim 6 .
The new z = 6.63 quasar has an absolute magnitude of M _ { 1450 } = -25.95 .
This demonstrates the potential of using the combined DECaLS and UKIDSS/UHS datasets to find z \gtrsim 7 quasars .
Extrapolating from previous QLF measurements , we predict that these combined datasets will yield \sim 200 z \sim 6 quasars to z _ { AB } < 21.5 , \sim 1 { , } 000 z \sim 6 quasars to z _ { AB } < 23 , and \sim 30 quasars at z > 6.5 to J _ { VEGA } < 19.5 .