Non-equilibrium dynamics in superconducting tunnel junction detectors

Conference · Fri Dec 09 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:78704

Hiller, L J; Labov, S E; Mears, C A; Frank, M; Bello, A F ^[1]; Barfknecht, A T ^[2]

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1. Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
2. Conductus, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (United States)

Superconducting tunnel junctions have the potential to serve as high-resolution, high-efficiency x-ray detectors for astrophysical and industrial applications. When irradiated by X rays, each X ray excites over 10{sup 6} charge carriers which cause the detector to generate a pulse of current. We present an analysis of pulse shapes from detectors we have constructed and operated. We fit the decay of the current pulse to a simple model that considers two classes of carrier loss. One model considers only the normal recombination of the charge carriers with themselves, the other included additional losses due to recombination sites in the within the detector medium. We found that both mechanisms most be taken into account. We also found a small variation in pulse shape depending on which layer of the tunnel junction absorbed the X ray. We expect that this analysis will be a useful tool in comparing different detector designs and operating conditions.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 78704
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JC--119293; CONF-940723--41; ON: DE95011734; CNN: Contract NAS5-38013; Grant NAGW-3907
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

44 INSTRUMENTATION
INCLUDING NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE DETECTORS
66 PHYSICS
FABRICATION
OPERATION
RADIATION DETECTORS
SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS
X-RAY DETECTION