Government of the United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Commerce

David Anders Wollman

John M Martinis

Kent David Irwin

Gene Charles Hilton

Walter M Gibson

Robert Gregory Downing

Multi-layer transition-edge sensors (TES) having improved performance, a method for preparing them and methods of using them. Specifically, the improvement lies in providing normal metal strips along the edges of the superconducting and normal metal layers parallel to the current flow in the TES during operation. These strips (referred to as &ldquo;banks&rdquo;) provide for both improved detector performance and improved detector robustness against corrosion. This improvement is an important advance particularly for TES-based microcalorimeter detectors. The improved TESs also have many other applications based on the very precise thermometer function achieved by the TES.

Normal metal boundary conditions for multi-layer TES detectors

A system and method for using one or more localized weak-link structures, and damping on the electrical bias circuit, to improve the performance of superconducting transition-edge sensors (TES). The weak links generally consist of an area or areas having a reduction in cross-sectional geometry in an otherwise uniform bilayer TES applied to a substrate. The weak links control the dissipation of power in the sensor, making it quieter and making its electrical response smoother and less hysteretic. The TES response is also made smoother by implementing a damping circuit on the electrical output of the TES.

Superconducting transition-edge sensor with weak links

Spectroscopic materials analysis wherein a sample under test is bombarded by electrons in a scanning electron microscope to produce an x-ray emission collected over a large solid angle by a polycapillary lens and focused onto the surface of a microcalorimeter detector. The x-ray lens is used to increase the effective collection area of the microcalorimeter detector used in an x-ray spectrometer. By increasing the collection angle, the time period for x-ray collection is reduced and the detector can be located farther from the x-ray source. The x-ray lens is effective over a broad energy range of x-rays, thus providing compatibility with spectroscopic analysis. The microcalorimeter can be calibrated to compensate for any variations in the transmission efficiency of the x-ray lens.

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Louisville, CO, United States of America

David Anders Wollman