Optimization of Transition-Edge Calorimeter Performance

Published

April 15, 2006

Author(s)

Joel N. Ullom, James A. Beall, William B. Doriese, William Duncan, S. L. Ferreira, Gene C. Hilton, Kent D. Irwin, Galen C. O'Neil, Carl D. Reintsema, Leila R. Vale, Barry L. Zink

Abstract

Calorimeters that exploit the superconducting-to-normal transition are used to detect individual photons from near-infrared to γ-ray wavelengths. Across this wide range, absorption efficiency, speed, and energy resolution are key performance parameters. Here, we describe recent improvements in the resolution of X-ray and γ-ray transition-edge sensors (TESs). Using the measured dependencies of the high-frequency unexplained noise in TESs, we have optimized the design of our TES X-ray sensors and achieved FWHM energy resolutions of 2.4 eV at 5.9 keV in Constellation-X style sensors and 2.9 eV at 5.9 keV in larger sensors suitable for materials analysis. We have also achieved a FWHM energy resolution of 42 eV at 103 keV in a TES calorimeter optimized for the detection of hard X-rays and γ-rays.

Citation

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

Volume

559

Issue

2

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

microcalorimeter, TES, transition-edge sensor, unexplained noise

Citation

Ullom, J. , Beall, J. , Doriese, W. , Duncan, W. , Ferreira, S. , Hilton, G. , Irwin, K. , O'Neil, G. , Reintsema, C. , Vale, L. and Zink, B. (2006), Optimization of Transition-Edge Calorimeter Performance, 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=32064 (Accessed October 10, 2025)