Position sensitive x-ray spectrophotometer using microwave kinetic inductance detectors

Journal Article · Mon Nov 27 00:00:00 EST 2006 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2390664· OSTI ID:20880108

Mazin, Benjamin A; Bumble, Bruce; Day, Peter K; Eckart, Megan E; Golwala, Sunil; Zmuidzinas, Jonas; Harrison, Fiona A ^[1]

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1. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 169-506, Pasadena, California 91109-8099 (United States)

The surface impedance of a superconductor changes when energy is absorbed and Cooper pairs are broken to produce single electron (quasiparticle) excitations. This change may be sensitively measured using a thin-film resonant circuit called a microwave kinetic inductance detector (MKID). The practical application of MKIDs for photon detection requires a method of efficiently coupling the photon energy to the MKID. The authors present results on position sensitive x-ray detectors made by using two aluminum MKIDs on either side of a tantalum photon absorber strip. Diffusion constants, recombination times, and energy resolution are reported. MKIDs can easily be scaled into large arrays.

• OSTI ID: 20880108
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 89, Issue 22; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2390664; (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ALUMINIUM
COOPER PAIRS
ELECTRONS
ENERGY RESOLUTION
EXCITATION
INDUCTANCE
MICROWAVE RADIATION
PHOTONS
RECOMBINATION
SPECTROPHOTOMETERS
SUPERCONDUCTORS
TANTALUM
THIN FILMS
X-RAY SPECTROMETERS