Final Scientific/Technical Report: Electronics for Large Superconducting Tunnel Junction Detector Arrays for Synchrotron Soft X-ray Research
Superconducting tunnel junction (STJ) detectors offer a an approach to detecting soft x-rays with energy resolutions 4-5 times better and at rates 10 faster than traditions semiconductor detectors. To make such detectors feasible, however, then need to be deployed in large arrays of order 1000 detectors, which in turn implies that their processing electronics must be compact, fully computer controlled, and low cost per channel while still delivering ultra-low noise performance so as to not degrade the STJ's performance. We report on our progress in designing a compact, low cost preamplifier intended for this application. In particular, we were able to produce a prototype preamplifier of 2 sq-cm area and a parts cost of less than $30 that matched the energy resolution of the best conventional system to date and demonstrated its ability to acquire an STJ I-V curve under computer control, the critical step for determining and setting the detectors' operating points under software control.
- Research Organization:
- XIA LLC, Hayward, CA
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE SBIR
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG02-07ER84928
- OSTI ID:
- 948826
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/84928-1 Final Report; DOE STJ SBIR Final Report 090305.pdf
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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