Non-equilibrium normal metal superconducting tunnel junction detectors

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Vol. 370; no. 1; pp. 121 - 123
• Main Authors: Azgui, F, Mears, C.A, Labov, S.E, Frank, M, Sadoulet, B, Lindeman, M, Golwala, S, Hiller, L.J, Netel, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 11.02.1996
• ISSN: 0168-9002; 1872-9576
• DOI: 10.1016/0168-9002(95)01112-9

Measurements of a Normal metal-Insulating-Superconducting (NIS) tunnel junction sensor Ag/AlO x /Al coupled to a thick Pb absorber are presented. All films were thermally deposited on a Si 3N 4 membrane using a shadow-mask technique. Irradiation experiments with a 55Fe source were performed using a high bandwidth SQUID with one junction only. We observe a strong position dependence of the pulse shape and amplitude. The different classes of events are probably related to different elements of the sensor. At a bath temperature of 80 mK we have obtained for the main Mn K α peak an energy resolution of 100 eV FWHM. We have preliminary evidence for absorption in the lead and efficient trapping of the resulting quasiparticles on the NIS normal electrode.