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Title: A high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer based on superconducting microcalorimeters

Abstract

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.

Authors:
;  [1]; ; ; ; ;  [1]; ; ;  [2]; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;  [1] more »; « less
  1. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado 80305 (United States)
  2. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22093728
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Review of Scientific Instruments
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 83; Journal Issue: 9; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0034-6748
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
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

Citation Formats

Bennett, D. A., Horansky, R. D., University of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80208, Schmidt, D. R., Doriese, W. B., Fowler, J. W., Kotsubo, V., Mates, J. A. B., University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, Hoover, A. S., Winkler, R., Rabin, M. W., 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., and others, and. A high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer based on superconducting microcalorimeters. United States: N. p., 2012. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4754630.
Bennett, D. A., Horansky, R. D., University of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80208, Schmidt, D. R., Doriese, W. B., Fowler, J. W., Kotsubo, V., Mates, J. A. B., University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, Hoover, A. S., Winkler, R., Rabin, M. W., 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., & others, and. A high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer based on superconducting microcalorimeters. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4754630
Bennett, D. A., Horansky, R. D., University of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80208, Schmidt, D. R., Doriese, W. B., Fowler, J. W., Kotsubo, V., Mates, J. A. B., University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, Hoover, A. S., Winkler, R., Rabin, M. W., 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., and others, and. 2012. "A high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer based on superconducting microcalorimeters". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4754630.
@article{osti_22093728,
title = {A high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer based on superconducting microcalorimeters},
author = {Bennett, D. A. and Horansky, R. D. and University of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80208 and Schmidt, D. R. and Doriese, W. B. and Fowler, J. W. and Kotsubo, V. and Mates, J. A. B. and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309 and Hoover, A. S. and Winkler, R. and Rabin, M. W. and Alpert, B. K. and Beall, J. A. and Fitzgerald, C. P. and Hilton, G. C. and Irwin, K. D. and O'Neil, G. C. and Reintsema, C. D. and Schima, F. J. and Swetz, D. S. and Vale, L. R. and others, and},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4754630},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22093728}, journal = {Review of Scientific Instruments},
issn = {0034-6748},
number = 9,
volume = 83,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2012},
month = {Sat Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2012}
}