Optimal filtering, record length, and count rate in transition-edge-sensor microcalorimeters

Published

December 16, 2009

Author(s)

William B. Doriese, Gene C. Hilton, Kent D. Irwin, Francis J. Schima, Joel N. Ullom, Joseph S. Adams, Caroline A. Kilbourne

Abstract

In typical algorithms for optimally filtering transition-edge-sensor-microcalorimeter pulses, the average value of a filtered pulse is set to zero. The achieved energy resolution of the detector then depends strongly on the chosen length of the pulse record. We report experimental confirmation of this effect. We derive expressions for the dependence of energy resolution on record length, and apply them to a pair of detector models for the X-ray Microcalorimeter Spectrometer instrument on NASA/ESA/JAXA s proposed International X-ray Observatory (IXO). Although the two models have identical pulse time-constants, they differ by a factor of two in the necessary record length for a given energy resolution. Finally, we derive an expression for the maximum output count rate of a TES pixel.

Citation

AIP Conference Proceedings

Volume

1185

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

microcalorimeter, transition-edge sensor, optimal filter, International X-ray Observatory, count rate, spectrometer

Citation

Doriese, W. , Hilton, G. , Irwin, K. , Schima, F. , Ullom, J. , Adams, J. and Kilbourne, C. (2009), Optimal filtering, record length, and count rate in transition-edge-sensor microcalorimeters, AIP Conference Proceedings, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=903257 (Accessed October 9, 2025)