ISSN:
1077-3118
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
We have characterized a thin-film Nb/Al/AlOx/Al/Nb superconducting tunnel junction (STJ) optimized for low electronic noise as an x-ray detector in the 0.2–1 keV photon energy range. The spectra measured with this junction have high spectral purity with, to the best of our knowledge, the best energy resolution ever achieved with this type of detector in this energy band. The discrepancy between the theoretical and experimental energy resolution is only about 15%. Part of this small discrepancy may be explained by the fact that our junction has electrodes made from niobium/aluminum bilayers, while the theoretical result is for electrodes made from only one material. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that resolution achieved with a STJ x-ray detector is in agreement with the resolution predicted from statistical fluctuations in the creation and tunneling of quasiparticles. © 1998 American Institute of Physics.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.122372
