Performance of spectroscopy detectors and associated electronics measured at SOLEIL synchrotron

Abstract

X-rays spectroscopy experiments at synchrotron facilities were limited during many years by the maximum count-throughput rate and the peak-to-background ratio of detectors, and their associated data acquisition systems. In the recent years, some new detectors became available with optimized front-end electronics, and a new generation of digital pulse processing electronics is now available (FalconX, Xspress3). An overview of the tests performed in laboratory and on beam-line at the SOLEIL synchrotron, with the Vortex Silicon Drift Detector and with Canberra High Purity Germanium detectors, associated with different digital electronic modules, is reported. A summary of energy resolution performance is also presented. It is shown that the dynamic performance can be described by not only the measurement time, but also by the pulse-pair resolution, defining the likelihood to register piled-up pulses, hence degrading the quality of the spectrum.