Developments in Time-Division Multiplexing of X-ray Transition-Edge Sensors.
Time-division multiplexing (TDM) is a mature scheme for the readout of arrays of transition-edge sensors (TESs). TDM is based on superconducting-quantum-interference-device (SQUID) current amplifiers. Multiple spectrometers based on gamma-ray and X-ray microcalorimeters have been operated with TDM readout, each at the scale of 200 sensors per spectrometer, as have several astronomical cameras with thousands of sub-mm or microwave bolometers. Here we present the details of two different versions of our TDM system designed to read out X-ray TESs. The first has been field-deployed in two 160-sensor (8 columns × 20 rows) spectrometers and four 240-sensor (8 columns × 30 rows) spectrometers. It has a three-SQUID-stage architecture, switches rows every 320 ns, and has total readout noise of 0.41μΦ0/√Hz. The second, which is presently under development, has a two-SQUID-stage architecture, switches rows every 160 ns, and has total readout noise of 0.19μΦ0/√Hz. Both quoted noise values are non-multiplexed and referred to the first-stage SQUID. In a demonstration of this new architecture, a multiplexed 1-column × 32-row array of NIST TESs achieved average energy resolution of 2.55±0.01 eV at 6 keV.
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
W B
WB
Doriese
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
K M
KM
Morgan
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
D A
DA
Bennett
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
E V
EV
Denison
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
C P
CP
Fitzgerald
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
J W
JW
Fowler
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
J D
JD
Gard
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
J P
JP
Hays-Wehle
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
G C
GC
Hilton
Stanford University Department of Physics, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
K D
KD
Irwin
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
Y I
YI
Joe
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
J A B
JA
Mates
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
G C
GC
O'Neil
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
C D
CD
Reintsema
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
N O
NO
Robbins
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
D R
DR
Schmidt
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
D S
DS
Swetz
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
H
H
Tatsuno
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
L R
LR
Vale
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
J N
JN
Ullom
SQUID; X-ray; microcalorimeter; time-division multiplexer; transition-edge sensor