Highly collimated photon detection using strongly coupled superconducting tunnel junctions

Preliminary results on the X-ray performance of Nb-based superconducting tunnel junctions (STJs) with a highly transmissive barrier are reported. The results show that the energy resolution of these detectors can be improved by collimating the X-ray photons onto the junction barrier area, thus reduc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity 1993-03, Vol.3 (1), p.2080-2083
Main Authors: Rando, N., Foden, C.L., Peacock, A., van Dordrecht, A., Lumley, J., Pereira, C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Degradation
Energy resolution
Event detection
Exact sciences and technology
Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy
Josephson junctions
Lighting
Optical collimators
Optical waveguides
Phonons
Physics
X- and γ-ray instruments and techniques
X-ray detection
X-ray detectors
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Summary:Preliminary results on the X-ray performance of Nb-based superconducting tunnel junctions (STJs) with a highly transmissive barrier are reported. The results show that the energy resolution of these detectors can be improved by collimating the X-ray photons onto the junction barrier area, thus reducing illumination of the surrounding substrate and leads. A charge output of about 50% of the theoretical maximum has been recorded for these STJs, with full width at half maximum resolution of about 200 eV at 6 keV. Several mechanisms which are believed to degrade the energy resolution are also discussed. X-ray events are also detected by other junctions on the same chip which are not illuminated. This may indicate the presence of a marked phonon transmission along the sapphire substrate which acts as a phonon waveguide analogous to the light transmission mechanism in fiber optics.< >
ISSN:1051-8223
1558-2515
DOI:10.1109/77.233447