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Title: Experimental Results and Modeling of Low-Heat-Capacity TES Microcalorimeters for Soft-X-ray Spectroscopy

Abstract

Transition-edge-sensor (TES) X-ray microcalorimeters have mostly been targeted at mid-band energies from 0.05-10 keV and high energies to above 100 keV. However, many other optimizations are possible. Here we present results from devices optimized for soft X-ray applications. For spectroscopy below 1 keV, the X-ray stopping power and heat capacity (C) of the TES itself are high enough that we can omit a separate absorber. The resulting devices have low C and the best-achievable energy resolution should be under 1 eV. We are interested in pursuing such devices primarily for astrophysical applications and laboratory astrophysics at LLNL's Electron-Beam Ion Trap. To this end, we have studied arrays in which 'bare' TESs are interspersed with broad-band pixels that have absorbers. By extending the absorbers to cover the area where the leads contact the low-energy pixels, we have eliminated a significant source of non-Gaussian detector response. The bare devices are in a different regime from our typical devices in that C is ten times lower and the conductance to the bath is four times lower. We have explored this regime through simultaneous fitting of noise and impedance data. These data cannot be fit by the simple model we employ to describe ourmore » typical broad-band devices. In this contribution we present X-ray spectra and the results from modeling.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ;  [1];  [1]; ; ; ; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21325808
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
AIP Conference Proceedings
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 1185; Journal Issue: 1; Conference: LTD13: 13. international workshop on low temperature detectors, Stanford, CA (United States), 20-24 Jul 2009; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3292370; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0094-243X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; BOLOMETERS; CALORIMETERS; CALORIMETRY; ENERGY RESOLUTION; IMPEDANCE; KEV RANGE; NOISE; OPTIMIZATION; RADIATION DETECTORS; SENSORS; SOFT X RADIATION; SPECIFIC HEAT; STOPPING POWER; SUPERCONDUCTING DEVICES; X-RAY DETECTION; X-RAY SPECTRA; X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY

Citation Formats

Eckart, Megan E, NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow, Adams, Joseph S, Smith, Stephen J, CRESST and University of Maryland, Baltimore County, MD 21250, Bandler, Simon R, CRESST and University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, Brekosky, Regis P, Chervenak, James A, Finkbeiner, Fred M, Kelley, Richard L, Kilbourne, Caroline A, Scott Porter, F, and Sadleir, John E. Experimental Results and Modeling of Low-Heat-Capacity TES Microcalorimeters for Soft-X-ray Spectroscopy. United States: N. p., 2009. Web. doi:10.1063/1.3292370.
Eckart, Megan E, NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow, Adams, Joseph S, Smith, Stephen J, CRESST and University of Maryland, Baltimore County, MD 21250, Bandler, Simon R, CRESST and University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, Brekosky, Regis P, Chervenak, James A, Finkbeiner, Fred M, Kelley, Richard L, Kilbourne, Caroline A, Scott Porter, F, & Sadleir, John E. Experimental Results and Modeling of Low-Heat-Capacity TES Microcalorimeters for Soft-X-ray Spectroscopy. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3292370
Eckart, Megan E, NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow, Adams, Joseph S, Smith, Stephen J, CRESST and University of Maryland, Baltimore County, MD 21250, Bandler, Simon R, CRESST and University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, Brekosky, Regis P, Chervenak, James A, Finkbeiner, Fred M, Kelley, Richard L, Kilbourne, Caroline A, Scott Porter, F, and Sadleir, John E. 2009. "Experimental Results and Modeling of Low-Heat-Capacity TES Microcalorimeters for Soft-X-ray Spectroscopy". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3292370.
@article{osti_21325808,
title = {Experimental Results and Modeling of Low-Heat-Capacity TES Microcalorimeters for Soft-X-ray Spectroscopy},
author = {Eckart, Megan E and NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow and Adams, Joseph S and Smith, Stephen J and CRESST and University of Maryland, Baltimore County, MD 21250 and Bandler, Simon R and CRESST and University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 and Brekosky, Regis P and Chervenak, James A and Finkbeiner, Fred M and Kelley, Richard L and Kilbourne, Caroline A and Scott Porter, F and Sadleir, John E},
abstractNote = {Transition-edge-sensor (TES) X-ray microcalorimeters have mostly been targeted at mid-band energies from 0.05-10 keV and high energies to above 100 keV. However, many other optimizations are possible. Here we present results from devices optimized for soft X-ray applications. For spectroscopy below 1 keV, the X-ray stopping power and heat capacity (C) of the TES itself are high enough that we can omit a separate absorber. The resulting devices have low C and the best-achievable energy resolution should be under 1 eV. We are interested in pursuing such devices primarily for astrophysical applications and laboratory astrophysics at LLNL's Electron-Beam Ion Trap. To this end, we have studied arrays in which 'bare' TESs are interspersed with broad-band pixels that have absorbers. By extending the absorbers to cover the area where the leads contact the low-energy pixels, we have eliminated a significant source of non-Gaussian detector response. The bare devices are in a different regime from our typical devices in that C is ten times lower and the conductance to the bath is four times lower. We have explored this regime through simultaneous fitting of noise and impedance data. These data cannot be fit by the simple model we employ to describe our typical broad-band devices. In this contribution we present X-ray spectra and the results from modeling.},
doi = {10.1063/1.3292370},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21325808}, journal = {AIP Conference Proceedings},
issn = {0094-243X},
number = 1,
volume = 1185,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Dec 16 00:00:00 EST 2009},
month = {Wed Dec 16 00:00:00 EST 2009}
}