Processing Pulses from TES Microcalorimeter X-ray Detectors

Published

August 6, 2021

Author(s)

Terrence Jach, Stephan M. Thurgate

Abstract

Microcalorimeter x-ray detectors employing a transition-edge sensor are capable of very high energy resolution, but this depends on an understanding of the readout process. The combination of thermal cooling and thermoelectric feedback present in most circumstances produces a nonlinear pulse whose area and amplitude both vary with photon energy. The resolution is further affected by the presence of pileup pulses in the pulse or baseline that need to be detected and rejected down to an arbitrarily small level. We describe here a method that includes both the rejection of pileup pulses and the correction of the nonlinearities. We have implemented the process in a system that accepts pulses from multiple detectors and analyzes them in real time. An initial brief x-ray spectrum from a standard sample supplies sufficient data for pulse characterization and energy calibration. The system is then also enabled to combine pulses from multiple detectors into an energy-calibrated histogram in real time.

Citation

Journal of Low Temperature Physics

Volume

1014

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima2021.165707

Local Download

Keywords

x-ray detector, microcalorimeter, TES, pulse height, energy histogram

Citation

Jach, T. and Thurgate, S. (2021), Processing Pulses from TES Microcalorimeter X-ray Detectors, Journal of Low Temperature Physics, [online], https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima2021.165707, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=930766 (Accessed November 17, 2025)