Development of frequency domain multiplexing for the X-ray Integral Field unit (X-IFU) on the Athena
Abstract
We are developing the frequency domain multiplexing (FDM) read-out of transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeters for the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) instrument on board of the future European X-Ray observatory Athena. The X-IFU instrument consists of an array of 3840 TESs with a high quantum efficiency (>90 %) and spectral resolution ΔE=2.5 eV @ 7 keV (E/ ΔE 2800). FDM is currently the baseline readout system for the X-IFU instrument. Using high quality factor LC filters and room temperature electronics developed at SRON and low-noise two stage SQUID amplifiers provided by VTT, we have recently demonstrated good performance with the FDM readout of Mo/Au TES calorimeters with Au/Bi absorbers. An integrated noise equivalent power resolution of about 2.0 eV at 1.7 MHz has been demonstrated with a pixel from a new TES array from NASA/Goddard (GSFC-A2). We have achieved X-ray energy resolutions 2.5 eV at AC bias frequency at 1.7 MHz in the single pixel read-out. We have also demonstrated for the first time an X-ray energy resolution around 3.0 eV in a 6 pixel FDM read-out with TES array (GSFC-A1). In this paper we report on the single pixel performance of these microcalorimeters under MHz AC bias, and further results of the performance of these pixels under FDM.
- Publication:
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Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray
- Pub Date:
- July 2016
- DOI:
- 10.1117/12.2232805
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1611.00956
- Bibcode:
- 2016SPIE.9905E..5SA
- Keywords:
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- Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 8 pages, 4 figures, Proceedings of the SPIE Astronomical Instrumentation "Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2014: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray"