A Mo-Cu Superconducting Transition-Edge Microcalorimeter with 4.5 eV Energy Resolution at 6 keV

Published

December 31, 2000

Author(s)

Kent D. Irwin, Gene C. Hilton, John M. Martinis, Steven Deiker, Norman F. Bergren, Sae Woo Nam, David A. Rudman, David A. Wollman

Abstract

We describe a superconducting transition-edge microcalorimeter with an energy resolution of 4.5 1 0.1 eV full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) for Mn Kα X-rays from an ⁵⁵Fe source. The thermometer consists of a photolithographically patterned Mo-Cu superconducting proximity bilayer with a 93 mK transition temperature. The device is fabricated on a Si₃ N₄ membrane patterned as a flyswatter to control the thermal conductance to the heat bath. The sensor is voltage biased with an on-chip shunt resistor, and the current is measured by a two-stage SQUID amplifier consisting of a single first-stage SQUID and a series-array second-stage SQUID.

Citation

Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A-Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment

Volume

444

Issue

2000

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

Microcalorimeter, transition-edge sensor, x-rays

Citation

Irwin, K. , Hilton, G. , Martinis, J. , Deiker, S. , Bergren, N. , Nam, S. , Rudman, D. and Wollman, D. (2000), A Mo-Cu Superconducting Transition-Edge Microcalorimeter with 4.5 eV Energy Resolution at 6 keV, Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A-Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=8065 (Accessed October 9, 2025)