Metallic Magnetic Calorimeters for X-ray Spectroscopy

L. Fleischmann¹, M. Linck¹, A. Burck¹, C. Domesle¹, C. Höhn¹, S. Kempf¹, S. Lausberg¹,
A. Pabinger¹,  C. Pies¹, J.-P. Porst¹, H. Rotzinger¹,  S. Schäfer¹,
R. Weldle¹, A. Fleischmann¹, C.Enss¹, G.M. Seidel²

(1) Kirchhoff-Institut für Physik, Universität Heidelberg,
INF227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
(2) Department of Physics, Brown University,
Box 1843, Providence, RI 02912, USA
 
Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract   -   An increasing number of experiments employ low temperature radiation/particle detectors which are based on a calorimetric detection scheme and operate at temperatures below 100mK. Metallic magnetic calorimeters use a metallic paramagnetic temperature sensor in tight thermal contact with the x-ray absorber. The magnetization of the sensor is used to monitor the temperature change of the detector upon the absorption of single photons, which is proportional to the absorbed energy.  Low-noise high-bandwidth dc-SQUIDs read out the small changes in magnetization. An energy resolution of ΔE_FWHM = 2.7eV was obtained for x-ray energies up to 6 keV.

Submitted July 30, 2008. Accepted after revision November 4, 2008. Ref. No. CR11; Category 4.