Toward kilopixel arrays: 3.8 eV microcalorimeter resolution in 8-channel SQUIDmultiplexer

Published

January 10, 2006

Author(s)

W.Bertrand (Randy) Doriese, James A. Beall, William Duncan, S. L. Ferreira, Gene C. Hilton, Kent D. Irwin, Carl D. Reintsema, Joel Ullom, Leila R. Vale, Yizi Xu

Abstract

Over the past several years, NIST has developed a SQUID time-division multiplexer (TDM) to read out large arrays of transition-edge sensors (TESs). The NIST TDM architecture has been successful in a number of submillimeterand millimeter-wave applications, among them the astronomical instrument FIBRE and the prototypes for ACT and for SCUBA-2. The development of large, multiplexed arrays of TES X-ray microcalorimeters is more challenging. Fast X-ray pulses, which have large dynamic ranges and bandwidths, place stringent demands on the multiplexer. In this paper, we describe the ongoing development of a multiplexer intended specifically for X-ray microcalorimeters. We present data showing 3.74 ' 0.12 eV resolution (FWHM, measured at 6 keV) from a sub- 150 's sensor in an eight-channel TDM. In addition, we calculate the number of detectors that can be multiplexed as a function of open-loop system bandwidth, SQUID noise, and detector time constant. We find that with achievable improvements, the NIST TDM architecture will be able to read out a square, kilopixel array of high-resolution microcalorimeters with time constants as low as 50 's, suiting it well to the requirements of many proposed X-ray astronomy missions, including NASA's Constellation-X, ESA's XEUS, and ISAS/JAXA's NeXT.

Citation

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

Volume

A559

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

microcalorimeter, multiplexer, SQUID, transition-edge sensor

Citation

Doriese, W. , Beall, J. , Duncan, W. , Ferreira, S. , Hilton, G. , Irwin, K. , Reintsema, C. , Ullom, J. , Vale, L. and Xu, Y. (2006), Toward kilopixel arrays: 3.8 eV microcalorimeter resolution in 8-channel SQUIDmultiplexer, Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A-Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment (Accessed October 9, 2025)