arXiv subjects

J. N. Ullom

Publications and source records attributed to J. N. Ullom.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Mitigating the effects of charged particle strikes on TES arrays for exotic atom X-ray experiments

Exotic atom experiments place transition-edge-sensor (TES) microcalorimeter arrays in a high-energy charged particle rich environment. When a high-energy charged particle passes through the silicon substrate of a TES array, a large amount of energy is deposited and small pulses are generated across multiple pixels in the TES array due to thermal crosstalk. We have developed analysis techniques to assess and reduce the effects of charged particle events on exotic atom X-ray measurements. Using this technique, the high-energy and low-energy components of the X-ray peaks due to pileup are eliminated, improving the energy resolution from 6.6 eV to 5.7 eV at 6.9 keV.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2020

On low-energy tail distortions in the detector responsefunction of x-ray microcalorimeter spectrometers

We use narrow spectral lines from the x-ray spectra of various highlycharged ions to measure low-energy tail-like deviations from a Gaussian responsefunction in a microcalorimter x-ray spectrometer with Au absorbers at energiesfrom 650 eV to 3320 eV. We review the literature on low energy tails in othermicrocalorimter x-ray spectrometers and present a model that explains all thereviewed tail fraction measurements. In this model a low energy tail arises fromthe combination of electron escape and energy trapping associated with Bi x-rayabsorbers.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2020

A Transition-edge Sensor-based X-ray Spectrometer for the Study of Highly Charged Ions at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Electron Beam Ion Trap

We report on the design, commissioning, and initial measurements of a Transition-edge Sensor (TES) x-ray spectrometer for the Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Over the past few decades, the NIST EBIT has produced numerous studies of highly charged ions in diverse fields such as atomic physics, plasma spectroscopy, and laboratory astrophysics. The newly commissioned NIST EBIT TES Spectrometer (NETS) improves the measurement capabilities of the EBIT through a combination of high x-ray collection efficiency and resolving power. NETS utilizes 192 individual TES x-ray microcalorimeters (166/192 yield) to improve upon the collection area by a factor of ~30 over the 4-pixel neutron transmutation doped germanium-based microcalorimeter spectrometer previously used at the NIST EBIT. The NETS microcalorimeters are optimized for the x-ray energies from roughly 500 eV to 8,000 eV and achieve an energy resolution of 3.7 eV to 5.0 eV over this range, a more modest (<2X) improvement over the previous microcalorimeters. Beyond this energy range NETS can operate with various trade-offs, the most significant of which are reduced efficiency at lower energies and being limited to a subset of the pixels at higher energies. As an initial demonstration of the capabilities of NETS, we measured transitions in He-like and H-like O, Ne, and Ar as well as Ni-like W. We detail the energy calibration and data analysis techniques used to transform detector counts into x-ray spectra, a process that will be the basis for analyzing future data.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2020

Resonant soft x-ray scattering from stripe-ordered La$_{2-x}$Ba$_x$CuO$_4$ detected by a transition edge sensor array detector

Resonant soft x-ray scattering (RSXS) is a leading probe of valence band order in materials best known for detecting charge density wave order in the copper-oxide superconductors. One of the biggest limitations on the RSXS technique is the presence of a severe fluorescence background which, like the RSXS cross section itself, is enhanced under resonant conditions. This background prevents the study of weak signals such as diffuse scattering from glassy or fluctuating order that is spread widely over momentum space. Recent advances in superconducting transition edge sensor (TES) detectors have led to major improvements in energy resolution and detection efficiency in the soft x-ray range. Here, we perform a RSXS study of stripe-ordered La$_{2-x}$Ba$_x$CuO$_4$ at the Cu $L_{3/2}$ edge (932.2 eV) using a TES detector with 1.5 eV resolution, to evaluate its utility for mitigating the fluorescence background problem. We find that, for suitable degree of detuning from the resonance, the TES rejects the fluorescence background, leading to a 5 to 10 times improvement in the statistical quality of the data compared to an equivalent, energy-integrated measurement. We conclude that a TES presents a promising approach to reducing background in RSXS studies and may lead to new discoveries in materials exhibiting valence band order that is fluctuating or glassy.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

First Operation of TES Microcalorimeters in Space with the Micro-X Sounding Rocket

Micro-X is a sounding rocket-borne instrument that uses a microcalorimeter array to perform high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy. This instrument flew for the first time on July 22nd, 2018 from the White Sands Missile Range, USA. This flight marks the first successful operation of a Transition-Edge Sensor array and its time division multiplexing read-out system in space. This launch was dedicated to the observation of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. A failure in the attitude control system prevented the rocket from pointing and led to no time on target. The on-board calibration source provided X-rays in flight, and it is used to compare detector performance during pre-flight integration, flight, and after the successful post-flight recovery. This calibration data demonstrates the capabilities of the detector in a space environment as well as its potential for future flights.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2019

Cold optical design for the Large Aperture Simons Observatory telescope

The Simons Observatory will consist of a single large (6 m diameter) telescope and a number of smaller (0.5 m diameter) refracting telescopes designed to measure the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background to unprecedented accuracy. The large aperture telescope is the same design as the CCAT-prime telescope, a modified Crossed Dragone design with a field-of-view of over 7.8 degrees diameter at 90 GHz. This paper presents an overview of the cold reimaging optics for this telescope and what drove our choice of 350-400 mm diameter silicon lenses in a 2.4 m cryostat over other possibilities. We will also consider the future expandability of this design to CMB Stage-4 and beyond.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2019

A robust principal component analysis for outlier identification in messy microcalorimeter data

A principal component analysis (PCA) of clean microcalorimeter pulse records can be a first step beyond statistically optimal linear filtering of pulses towards a fully non-linear analysis. For PCA to be practical on spectrometers with hundreds of sensors, an automated identification of clean pulses is required. Robust forms of PCA are the subject of active research in machine learning. We examine a version known as coherence pursuit that is simple, fast, and well matched to the automatic identification of outlier records, as needed for microcalorimeter pulse analysis.

physics.data-an↗

arXiv2019

Working principle and demonstrator of microwave-multiplexing for the HOLMES experiment microcalorimeters

The determination of the neutrino mass is an open issue in modern particle physics and astrophysics. The direct mass measurement is the only theory-unrelated experimental tool capable to probe such quantity. The HOLMES experiment aims to measure the end-point energy of the electron capture (EC) decay of $^{163}$Ho with a statistical sensitivity on the neutrino mass as low as $\sim 1$ eV/c$^2$. In order to acquire the large needed statistics, by keeping the pile-up contribution as low as possible, 1024 transition edge sensors (TESs) with high energy and time resolutions will be employed. Microcalorimeter and bolometer arrays based on transition edge sensor with thousands of pixels are under development for several space-based and ground-based applications, including astrophysics, nuclear and particle physics, and materials science. The common necessary challenge is to develop pratical multiplexing techniques in order to simplify the cryogenics and readout systems. Despite the various multiplexing variants which are being developed have been successful, new approaches are needed to enable scaling to larger pixel counts and faster sensors, as requested for HOLMES, reducing also the cost and complexity of readout. A very novel technique that meets all of these requirements is based on superconducting microwave resonators coupled to radio-frequency Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices, in which the the changes in the TES input current is tranduced to a change in phase of a microwave signal. In this work we introduce the basics of this technique, the design and development of the first two-channel read out system and its performances with the first TES detectors specifically designed for HOLMES. In the last part we explain how to extend this approach scaling to 1024 pixels.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2018

A Highly Linear Calibration Metric for TES X-ray Microcalorimeters

Transition-edge sensor X-ray microcalorimeters are usually calibrated empirically, as the most widely-used calibration metric, optimal filtered pulse height (OFPH), in general has an unknown dependance on photon energy, $E_γ$. Because the calibration function can only be measured at specific points where photons of a known energy can be produced, this unknown dependence of OFPH on $E_γ$ leads to calibration errors and the need for time-intensive calibration measurements and analysis. A calibration metric that is nearly linear as a function of $E_γ$ could help alleviate these problems. In this work, we assess the linearity of a physically motivated calibration metric, $E_{Joule}$. We measure calibration pulses in the range 4.5 keV$<$$E_γ$$<$9.6 keV with detectors optimized for 6 keV photons to compare the linearity properties of $E_{Joule}$ to OFPH. In these test data sets, we find that $E_{Joule}$ fits a linear function an order of magnitude better than OFPH. Furthermore, calibration functions using $E_{J}$, an optimized version of $E_{Joule}$, are linear within the 2-3 eV noise of the data.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2018

Millimeter-Wave Polarimeters Using Kinetic Inductance Detectors for TolTEC and Beyond

Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) provide a compelling path forward to the large-format polarimeter, imaging, and spectrometer arrays needed for next-generation experiments in millimeter-wave cosmology and astronomy. We describe the development of feedhorn-coupled MKID detectors for the TolTEC millimeter-wave imaging polarimeter being constructed for the 50-meter Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT). Observations with TolTEC are planned to begin in early 2019. TolTEC will comprise $\sim$7,000 polarization sensitive MKIDs and will represent the first MKID arrays fabricated and deployed on monolithic 150 mm diameter silicon wafers -- a critical step towards future large-scale experiments with over $10^5$ detectors. TolTEC will operate in observational bands at 1.1, 1.4, and 2.0 mm and will use dichroic filters to define a physically independent focal plane for each passband, thus allowing the polarimeters to use simple, direct-absorption inductive structures that are impedance matched to incident radiation. This work is part of a larger program at NIST-Boulder to develop MKID-based detector technologies for use over a wide range of photon energies spanning millimeter-waves to X-rays. We present the detailed pixel layout and describe the methods, tools, and flexible design parameters that allow this solution to be optimized for use anywhere in the millimeter and sub-millimeter bands. We also present measurements of prototype devices operating in the 1.1 mm band and compare the observed optical performance to that predicted from models and simulations.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2018

Approaches to the Optimal Nonlinear Analysis of Microcalorimeter Pulses

We consider how to analyze microcalorimeter pulses for quantities that are nonlinear in the data, while preserving the signal-to-noise advantages of lin- ear optimal filtering. We successfully apply our chosen approach to compute the electrothermal feedback energy deficit (the "Joule energy") of a pulse, which has been proposed as a linear estimator of the deposited photon energy.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2017

Microwave SQUID Multiplexer demonstration for Cosmic Microwave Background Imagers

Key performance characteristics are demonstrated for the microwave SQUID multiplexer ($μ$MUX) coupled to transition edge sensor (TES) bolometers that have been optimized for cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations. In a 64-channel demonstration, we show that the $μ$MUX produces a white, input referred current noise level of 29~pA$/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ at -77~dB microwave probe tone power, which is well below expected fundamental detector and photon noise sources for a ground-based CMB-optimized bolometer. Operated with negligible photon loading, we measure 98~pA$/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ in the TES-coupled channels biased at 65% of the sensor normal resistance. This noise level is consistent with that predicted from bolometer thermal fluctuation (i.e., phonon) noise. Furthermore, the power spectral density exhibits a white spectrum at low frequencies ($\sim$~100~mHz), which enables CMB mapping on large angular scales that constrain the physics of inflation. Additionally, we report cross-talk measurements that indicate a level below 0.3%, which is less than the level of cross-talk from multiplexed readout systems in deployed CMB imagers. These measurements demonstrate the $μ$MUX as a viable readout technique for future CMB imaging instruments.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2017

Superconducting micro-resonator arrays with ideal frequency spacing and extremely low frequency collision rate

We present a wafer trimming technique for producing superconducting micro-resonator arrays with highly uniform frequency spacing. With the light-emitting diode (LED) mapper technique demonstrated previously, we first map the measured resonance frequencies to the physical resonators. Then, we fine-tune each resonator's frequency by lithographically trimming a small length, calculated from the deviation of the measured frequency from its design value, from the interdigitated capacitor. We demonstrate this technique on a 127-resonator array made of titanium-nitride (TiN) and show that the uniformity of frequency spacing is greatly improved. The array yield in terms of frequency collisions improves from 84% to 97%, while the quality factors and noise properties are unaffected. The wafer trimming technique provides an easy-to-implement tool to improve the yield and multiplexing density of large resonator arrays, which is important for various applications in photon detection and quantum computing.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2016

When "Optimal Filtering" Isn't

The so-called "optimal filter" analysis of a microcalorimeter's x-ray pulses is statistically optimal only if all pulses have the same shape, regardless of energy. The shapes of pulses from a nonlinear detector can and do depend on the pulse energy, however. A pulse-fitting procedure that we call "tangent filtering" accounts for the energy dependence of the shape and should therefore achieve superior energy resolution. We take a geometric view of the pulse-fitting problem and give expressions to predict how much the energy resolution stands to benefit from such a procedure. We also demonstrate the method with a case study of K-line fluorescence from several 3d transition metals. The method improves the resolution from 4.9 eV to 4.2 eV at the Cu K$α$ line (8.0keV).

physics.data-an↗

arXiv2016

First application of superconducting transition-edge-sensor microcalorimeters to hadronic-atom x-ray spectroscopy

High-resolution pionic-atom x-ray spectroscopy was performed with an x-ray spectrometer based on a 240-pixel array of superconducting transition-edge-sensor (TES) microcalorimeters at the piM1 beam line of the Paul Scherrer Institute. X-rays emitted by pionic carbon via the 4f->3d transition and the parallel 4d->3p transition were observed with a full-width-at-half-maximum energy resolution of 6.8 eV at 6.4 keV. Measured x-ray energies are consistent with calculated electromagnetic values which considered the strong-interaction effect assessed via the Seki-Masutani potential for the 3p energy level, and favor the electronic population of two filled 1s electrons in the K-shell. Absolute energy calibration with an uncertainty of 0.1 eV was demonstrated under a high-rate hadron beam condition of 1.45 MHz. This is the first application of a TES spectrometer to hadronic-atom x-ray spectroscopy and is an important milestone towards next-generation high-resolution kaonic-atom x-ray spectroscopy.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2016

Development of microwave-multiplexed superconductive detectors for the HOLMES experiment

In recent years, the progress on low temperature detector technologies has allowed design of large scale experiments aiming at pushing down the sensitivity on the neutrino mass below 1\,eV. Even with outstanding performances in both energy ($\sim$eV on keV) and time resolution ($\sim 1\,μ$s) on the single channel, a large number of detectors working in parallel is required to reach a sub-eV sensitivity. HOLMES is a new experiment to directly measure the neutrino mass with a sensitivity as low as 2\,eV. HOLMES will perform a calorimetric measurement of the energy released in the electron capture (EC) decay of 163Ho. In its final configuration, HOLMES will deploy 1000 detectors of low temperature microcalorimeters with implanted 163Ho nuclei. The baseline sensors for HOLMES are Mo/Cu TESs (Transition Edge Sensors) on SiN\textsubscript{x} membrane with gold absorbers. The readout is based on the use of rf-SQUIDs as input devices with flux ramp modulation for linearization purposes; the rf-SQUID is then coupled to a superconducting lambda/4-wave resonator in the GHz range, and the modulated signal is finally read out using the homodyne technique. The TES detectors have been designed with the aim of achieving an energy resolution of a few eV at the spectrum endpoint and a time resolution of a few micro-seconds, in order to minimize pile-up artifacts.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2016

Absolute Energy Calibration of X-ray TESs with 0.04 eV Uncertainty at 6.4 keV in a Hadron-Beam Environment

A performance evaluation of superconducting transition-edge sensors (TESs) in the environment of a pion beam line at a particle accelerator is presented. Averaged across the 209 functioning sensors in the array, the achieved energy resolution is 5.2 eV FWHM at Co $K_α$ (6.9 keV) when the pion beam is off and 7.3 eV at a beam rate of 1.45 MHz. Absolute energy uncertainty of $\pm$0.04 eV is demonstrated for Fe $K_α$ (6.4 keV) with in-situ energy calibration obtained from other nearby known x-ray lines. To achieve this small uncertainty, it is essential to consider the non-Gaussian energy response of the TESs and thermal cross-talk pile-up effects due to charged-particle hits in the silicon substrate of the TES array.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2015

The Practice of Pulse Processing

The analysis of data from x-ray microcalorimeters requires great care; their excellent intrinsic energy resolution cannot usually be achieved in practice without a statistically near-optimal pulse analysis and corrections for important systematic errors. We describe the essential parts of a pulse-analysis pipeline for data from x-ray microcalorimeters, including steps taken to reduce systematic gain variation and the unwelcome dependence of filtered pulse heights on the exact pulse-arrival time. We find these steps collectively to be essential tools for getting the best results from a microcalorimeter-based x-ray spectrometer.

physics.ins-det↗