Magnetic Microcalorimeter Gamma Detectors for High-Precision Non-Destructive Analysis

Abstract

Cryogenic gamma (γ) detectors with operating temperatures of ~0.1 K offer 10× better energy resolution than conventional high-purity germanium detectors that are currently used for non-destructive analysis (NDA) of nuclear materials. This can greatly increase the accuracy of NDA, especially at low-energies where gamma rays often have similar energies and cannot be resolved by Ge detectors. Among the different cryogenic detector types, Magnetic Micro-Calorimeters (MMCs) have the potential of faster count rates and better linearity. High linearity is essential to add spectra from different pixels in detector arrays that are needed for high sensitivity. MMC gamma detectors measure the energy of absorbed gamma rays form the resulting change in magnetization of an erbium-doped gold (Au:Er) sensor. The signal is read out with a SQUID preamplifier and processed digitally with room temperature electronics (see inset figure 2). The objective of this project is to develop ultra-high energy resolution γ-detectors based on magnetic micro-calorimeters (MMCs) for accurate non-destructive isotope analysis (NDA). Since MMCs, like other cryogenic γ-detector technologies with operating temperatures <0.1 K, are intrinsically slow and have to be small for high resolution, special emphasis will be placed on questions that determine sensitivity and the potential for scaling to arrays. Objectivesmore » for FY14 were therefore to fabricate an improved version of MMC γ-detectors and test their energy resolution, maximum count rate, readout noise, crosstalk between pixels and linearity.« less