Abstract
Superconducting tunnel junctions coupled to superconducting absorbers may be used as high-resolution, high-efficiency X-ray spectrometers. We have tested devices with niobium X-ray absorbing layers coupled to aluminum layers that serve as quasiparticle traps. We present a study of device performance as a function of thickness of the trapping layers. We measured the best energy resolution using a device with a high-quality barrier and 200 nm-thick trapping layers on both sides of the tunnel barrier. This energy resolution was 36 eV full width at half maximum at 6 keV, about 4 times better than that obtainable using semiconductor ionization detectors.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 3069-3072 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity |
Volume | 5 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 1995 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)