A high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer based on superconducting microcalorimeters

Journal Article · Sat Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2012 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4754630· OSTI ID:22093728

Bennett, D. A.; Horansky, R. D. ^[1]; Schmidt, D. R.; Doriese, W. B.; Fowler, J. W.; Kotsubo, V.; Mates, J. A. B. ^[1]; Hoover, A. S.; Winkler, R.; Rabin, M. W. ^[2]; Alpert, B. K.; Beall, J. A.; Fitzgerald, C. P.; Hilton, G. C.; Irwin, K. D.; O'Neil, G. C.; Reintsema, C. D.; Schima, F. J.; Swetz, D. S.; Vale, L. R. ^[1] ; others, and

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1. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado 80305 (United States)
2. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

Improvements in superconductor device fabrication, detector hybridization techniques, and superconducting quantum interference device readout have made square-centimeter-sized arrays of gamma-ray microcalorimeters, based on transition-edge sensors (TESs), possible. At these collecting areas, gamma microcalorimeters can utilize their unprecedented energy resolution to perform spectroscopy in a number of applications that are limited by closely-spaced spectral peaks, for example, the nondestructive analysis of nuclear materials. We have built a 256 pixel spectrometer with an average full-width-at-half-maximum energy resolution of 53 eV at 97 keV, a useable dynamic range above 400 keV, and a collecting area of 5 cm{sup 2}. We have demonstrated multiplexed readout of the full 256 pixel array with 236 of the pixels (91%) giving spectroscopic data. This is the largest multiplexed array of TES microcalorimeters to date. This paper will review the spectrometer, highlighting the instrument design, detector fabrication, readout, operation of the instrument, and data processing. Further, we describe the characterization and performance of the newest 256 pixel array.

• OSTI ID: 22093728
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Journal Name: Review of Scientific Instruments Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 83; ISSN 0034-6748; ISSN RSINAK
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CALORIMETERS
DATA PROCESSING
ENERGY RESOLUTION
FABRICATION
GAMMA RADIATION
GAMMA SPECTROMETERS
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
READOUT SYSTEMS
REVIEWS
SENSORS
SPECTROSCOPY
SQUID DEVICES
SUPERCONDUCTORS