Frequency-Domain Multiplexed Readout for Superconducting Gamma-Ray Detectors

• Published in: IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 633 - 636
• Main Authors: Dreyer, J.G., Arnold, K., Lanting, T.M., Dobbs, M.A., Friedrich, S., Lee, A.T., Spieler, H.G.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01-06-2007; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Arrays; Bandwidth; Carriers; Circuit properties; Cosmic microwave background; Demodulation; Detectors; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Frequency; Frequency domain multiplexing; Gamma ray detection; Gamma ray detectors; General equipment and techniques; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Multiplexing; Optoelectronic devices; Physics; RLC circuits; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Sensor arrays; Sensors; Sensors (chemical, optical, electrical, movement, gas, etc.); remote sensing; Signal convertors; Superconducting device noise; Superconducting devices; Superconducting microwave devices; superconducting radiation detectors; Superconductivity; Temperature sensors; transition edge sensors; Performance evaluation; High resolution; Measurement sensor; Resonant circuit; gamma ray detectors; Frequency domain method; Frequency domain multiplexing; transition edge sensors; Frequency division multiplexing; Readout electronics; Preamplifier; Radiation detector; Carrier frequency; Superconducting quantum interferometer device; Bolometer; Demodulator; superconducting radiation detectors; Room temperature; Superconducting transition; Demodulation
• ISSN: 1051-8223; 1558-2515
• DOI: 10.1109/TASC.2007.898249

We are developing a frequency-multiplexed readout for arrays of high-resolution gamma detectors based on superconducting transition edge sensors (TESs). Each sensor is part of an LCR resonant circuit and is biased at an identifying carrier frequency. Several carrier signals are added and amplified with a single SQUID preamplifier at 4 K. Gamma absorption modulates the amplitude of the carrier, and demodulation at room temperature retrieves the initial temperature evolution of the sensor. This multiplexing system has originally been developed to read out large arrays of bolometers for cosmic microwave background studies. To accommodate the faster gamma-ray signals, its demodulator bandwidth is being extended to ~20 kHz to allow reading out up to eight TESs with a detector bandwidth of ~10 kHz. Here we characterize the system noise performance and show how this multiplexing scheme can be adapted to read out arrays of superconducting gamma-ray detectors.