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At least 937 records · Page 52

ICP MS selection of radiopure materials for the GERDA experiment

The GERDA (GERmanium Detector Array) experiment, located in the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory (LNGS, Italy) aims to search for neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay of the {sup 76}Ge isotope. Both an ultra-low radioactivity background environment and active techniques to abate the residual background are required to reach the background index (of 10{sup −3} counts/keV kg y) at the Q{sub ββ}. In order to veto and suppress those events that partially deposit energy in Ge detectors, the readout of liquid argon (LAr) scintillation light (SL) has been implemented for the second GERDA experimental Phase. A double veto system has been designed and constructed using highly radiopure materials (scintillating fibers, wavelength shifters, polymeric foils, reflective foils). This work describes the study of lead, thorium and uranium ultra-trace content, performed at the LNGS Chemistry Laboratory by High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HR ICP MS), for the selection of all materials involved in the construction of the veto system.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Photonic crystal cavities with metallic Schottky contacts

We report about the fabrication and analysis of high Q photonic crystal cavities with metallic Schottky-contacts. The structures are based on GaAs n-i membranes with an InGaAs quantum well in the i-region and nanostructured low ohmic metal top-gates. They are designed for photocurrent readout within the cavity and fast electric manipulations. The cavity structures are characterized by photoluminescence and photocurrent spectroscopy under resonant excitation. We find strong cavity resonances in the photocurrent spectra and surprisingly high Q-factors up to 6500. Temperature dependent photocurrent measurements in the region between 4.5 K and 310 K show an exponential enhancement of the photocurrent signal and an external quantum efficiency up to 0.26.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Development of europium doped BaSO{sub 4} TL OSL dual phosphor for radiation dosimetry applications

This paper presents the results on the preparation and characterization of Europium-doped Barium sulfate (BaSO{sub 4}: Eu) TL /OSL dual phosphor. The OSL sensitivity was found to be 11% of the commercially available Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}: C, using area integration method. The sample also shows good TL sensitivity and the dosimetric peak appears around 190°C with a shoulder at 282°C. After OSL readout, No change in the TL glow curve is observed. Since the observed TL peaks are not responsible for the observed OSL, good OSL as well as TL sensitivity and low fading will make this phosphor suitable for applications in radiation dosimetry using OSL as well as TL.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Radio frequency reflectometry and charge sensing of a precision placed donor in silicon

We compare charge transitions on a deterministic single P donor in silicon using radio frequency reflectometry measurements with a tunnel coupled reservoir and DC charge sensing using a capacitively coupled single electron transistor (SET). By measuring the conductance through the SET and comparing this with the phase shift of the reflected radio frequency (RF) excitation from the reservoir, we can discriminate between charge transfer within the SET channel and tunneling between the donor and reservoir. The RF measurement allows observation of donor electron transitions at every charge degeneracy point in contrast to the SET conductance signal where charge transitions are only observed at triple points. The tunnel coupled reservoir has the advantage of a large effective lever arm (∼35%), allowing us to independently extract a neutral donor charging energy ∼62 ± 17 meV. These results demonstrate that we can replace three terminal transistors by a single terminal dispersive reservoir, promising for high bandwidth scalable donor control and readout.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Beam based alignment and its relevance in Indus-2

Initially in the Indus-2 storage ring, the closed orbit distortion (COD) could be best corrected to 1.3 mm rms in the horizontal and 0.43 mm rms in the vertical plane. The strength of the corrector magnets required high values for COD correction. This revealed that offsets in COD readout by the beam position monitors (BPMs) played a role in not achieving a rms COD lower than the above value. Thus, the offset between the electrical center of BPMs and the magnetic center of the nearest quadrupole magnet could be estimated using the beam based alignment (BBA) method. It prefers that the quadrupole magnet is able to be controlled individually and active shunt power supply (ASPS) system was designed for this purpose that works efficiently. This paper describes the methodology of BBA, topology of ASPS and its performance, and COD minimization using the measured BPM offsets. After BBA, the COD could be reduced to 0.45 mm rms and 0.2 mm rms in horizontal and vertical planes, respectively.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

All-optical switching of magnetoresistive devices using telecom-band femtosecond laser

Ultrafast all-optical switching of the magnetization of various magnetic systems is an intriguing phenomenon that can have tremendous impact on information storage and processing. Here, we demonstrate all-optical switching of GdFeCo alloy films using a telecom-band femtosecond fiber laser. We further fabricate Hall cross devices and electrically readout all-optical switching by measuring anomalous Hall voltage changes. The use of a telecom laser and the demonstrated all-optical switching of magnetoresistive devices represent the first step toward integration of opto-magnetic devices with mainstream photonic devices to enable novel optical and spintronic functionalities.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Flux-coherent series SQUID array magnetometers operating above 77 K with superior white flux noise than single-SQUIDs at 4.2 K

A very promising direction to improve the sensitivity of magnetometers based on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) is to build a series-array of N non-interacting SQUIDs operating flux-coherently, because in this case their voltage modulation depth, ΔV, linearly scales with N whereas the white flux noise S{sub Φ}{sup 1/2} decreases as 1/N{sup 1/2}. Here, we report the realization of both these improvements in an advanced layout of very large SQUID arrays made of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}. Specially designed with large area narrow flux focusers for increased field sensitivity and improved flux-coherency, our arrays have extremely low values for S{sub Φ}{sup 1/2} between (0.25 and 0.44) μΦ{sub 0}/Hz{sup 1/2} for temperatures in the range (77–83) K. In this respect, they outperform niobium/aluminium trilayer technology-based single-SQUIDs operating at 4.2 K. Moreover, with values for ΔV and transimpedance in the range of (10–17) mV and (0.3–2.5) kΩ, respectively, a direct connection to a low-noise room temperature amplifier is allowed, while matching for such readout is simplified and the available bandwidth is greatly increased. These landmark performances suggest such series SQUID arrays are ideal candidates to replace single-SQUIDs operating at 4.2 K in many applications.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Broadband filters for abatement of spontaneous emission in circuit quantum electrodynamics

The ability to perform fast, high-fidelity readout of quantum bits (qubits) is essential to the goal of building a quantum computer. However, coupling a fast measurement channel to a superconducting qubit typically also speeds up its relaxation via spontaneous emission. Here, we use impedance engineering to design a filter by which photons may easily leave the resonator at the cavity frequency but not at the qubit frequency. We implement this broadband filter in both an on-chip and off-chip configuration.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

A 10 nN resolution thrust-stand for micro-propulsion devices

We report on the development of a nano-Newton thrust-stand that can measure up to 100 μN thrust from different types of microthrusters with 10 nN resolution. The compact thrust-stand measures the impingement force of the particles emitted from a microthruster onto a suspended plate of size 45 mm × 45 mm and with a natural frequency over 50 Hz. Using a homodyne (lock-in) readout provides strong immunity to facility vibrations, which historically has been a major challenge for nano-Newton thrust-stands. A cold-gas thruster generating up to 50 μN thrust in air was first used to validate the thrust-stand. Better than 10 nN resolution and a minimum detectable thrust of 10 nN were achieved. Thrust from a miniature electrospray propulsion system generating up to 3 μN of thrust was measured with our thrust-stand in vacuum, and the thrust was compared with that computed from beam diagnostics, obtaining agreement within 50 nN to 150 nN. The 10 nN resolution obtained from this thrust-stand matches that from state-of-the-art nano-Newton thrust-stands, which measure thrust directly from the thruster by mounting it on a moving arm (but whose natural frequency is well below 1 Hz). The thrust-stand is the first of its kind to demonstrate less than 3 μN resolution by measuring the impingement force, making it capable of measuring thrust from different types of microthrusters, with the potential of easy upscaling for thrust measurement at much higher levels, simply by replacing the force sensor with other force sensors.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Spectrometer for shot-to-shot photon energy characterization in the multi-bunch mode of the free electron laser at Hamburg

The setup and first results from commissioning of a fast online photon energy spectrometer for the vacuum ultraviolet free electron laser at Hamburg (FLASH) at DESY are presented. With the use of the latest advances in detector development, the presented spectrometer reaches readout frequencies up to 1 MHz. In this paper, we demonstrate the ability to record online photon energy spectra on a shot-to-shot base in the multi-bunch mode of FLASH. Clearly resolved shifts in the mean wavelength over the pulse train as well as shot-to-shot wavelength fluctuations arising from the statistical nature of the photon generating self-amplified spontaneous emission process have been observed. In addition to an online tool for beam calibration and photon diagnostics, the spectrometer enables the determination and selection of spectral data taken with a transparent experiment up front over the photon energy of every shot. This leads to higher spectral resolutions without the loss of efficiency or photon flux by using single-bunch mode or monochromators.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A fast-time-response extreme ultraviolet spectrometer for measurement of impurity line emissions in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak

A flat-field extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectrometer working in the 20-500 Å wavelength range with fast time response has been newly developed to measure line emissions from highly ionized tungsten in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) with a tungsten divertor, while the monitoring of light and medium impurities is also an aim in the present development. A flat-field focal plane for spectral image detection is made by a laminar-type varied-line-spacing concave holographic grating with an angle of incidence of 87°. A back-illuminated charge-coupled device (CCD) with a total size of 26.6 × 6.6 mm{sup 2} and pixel numbers of 1024 × 255 (26 × 26 μm{sup 2}/pixel) is used for recording the focal image of spectral lines. An excellent spectral resolution of Δλ{sub 0} = 3-4 pixels, where Δλ{sub 0} is defined as full width at the foot position of a spectral line, is obtained at the 80-400 Å wavelength range after careful adjustment of the grating and CCD positions. The high signal readout rate of the CCD can improve the temporal resolution of time-resolved spectra when the CCD is operated in the full vertical binning mode. It is usually operated at 5 ms per frame. If the vertical size of the CCD is reduced with a narrow slit, the time response becomes faster. The high-time response in the spectral measurement therefore makes possible a variety of spectroscopic studies, e.g., impurity behavior in long pulse discharges with edge-localized mode bursts. An absolute intensity calibration of the EUV spectrometer is also carried out with a technique using the EUV bremsstrahlung continuum at 20-150 Å for quantitative data analysis. Thus, the high-time resolution tungsten spectra have been successfully observed with good spectral resolution using the present EUV spectrometer system. Typical tungsten spectra in the EUV wavelength range observed from EAST discharges are presented with absolute intensity and spectral identification.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Radiation hardness assessment of the charge-integrating hybrid pixel detector JUNGFRAU 1.0 for photon science

JUNGFRAU (adJUstiNg Gain detector FoR the Aramis User station) is a two-dimensional hybrid pixel detector for photon science applications in free electron lasers, particularly SwissFEL, and synchrotron light sources. JUNGFRAU is an automatic gain switching, charge-integrating detector which covers a dynamic range of more than 10{sup 4} photons of an energy of 12 keV with a good linearity, uniformity of response, and spatial resolving power. The JUNGFRAU 1.0 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) features a 256 × 256 pixel matrix of 75 × 75 μm{sup 2} pixels and is bump-bonded to a 320 μm thick Si sensor. Modules of 2 × 4 chips cover an area of about 4 × 8 cm{sup 2}. Readout rates in excess of 2 kHz enable linear count rate capabilities of 20 MHz (at 12 keV) and 50 MHz (at 5 keV). The tolerance of JUNGFRAU to radiation is a key issue to guarantee several years of operation at free electron lasers and synchrotrons. The radiation hardness of JUNGFRAU 1.0 is tested with synchrotron radiation up to 10 MGy of delivered dose. The effect of radiation-induced changes on the noise, baseline, gain, and gain switching is evaluated post-irradiation for both the ASIC and the hybridized assembly. The bare JUNGFRAU 1.0 chip can withstand doses as high as 10 MGy with minor changes to its noise and a reduction in the preamplifier gain. The hybridized assembly, in particular the sensor, is affected by the photon irradiation which mainly shows as an increase in the leakage current. Self-healing of the system is investigated during a period of 11 weeks after the delivery of the radiation dose. Annealing radiation-induced changes by bake-out at 100 °C is investigated. It is concluded that the JUNGFRAU 1.0 pixel is sufficiently radiation-hard for its envisioned applications at SwissFEL and synchrotron beam lines.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Multiplexed infrared photodetection using resonant radio-frequency circuits

We demonstrate a room-temperature semiconductor-based photodetector where readout is achieved using a resonant radio-frequency (RF) circuit consisting of a microstrip split-ring resonator coupled to a microstrip busline, fabricated on a semiconductor substrate. The RF resonant circuits are characterized at RF frequencies as function of resonator geometry, as well as for their response to incident IR radiation. The detectors are modeled analytically and using commercial simulation software, with good agreement to our experimental results. Though the detector sensitivity is weak, the detector architecture offers the potential for multiplexing arrays of detectors on a single read-out line, in addition to high speed response for either direct coupling of optical signals to RF circuitry, or alternatively, carrier dynamics characterization of semiconductor, or other, material systems.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Enhanced magnetic flux density mapping using coherent steady state equilibrium signal in MREIT

Measuring the z-component of magnetic flux density B = (B{sub x}, B{sub y}, B{sub z}) induced by transversally injected current, magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) aims to visualize electrical property (current density and/or conductivity distribution) in a three-dimensional imaging object. For practical implementations of MREIT technique, it is critical to reduce injection of current pulse within safety requirements. With the goal of minimizing the noise level in measured B{sub z} data, we propose a new method to enhance the measure B{sub z} data using steady-state coherent gradient multi-echo (SSC-GME) MR pulse sequence combining with injection current nonlinear encoding (ICNE) method in MREIT, where the ICNE technique injects current during a readout gradient to maximize the signal intensity of phase signal including B{sub z}. The total phase offset in SSC-GME includes additional magnetic flux density due to the injected current, which is different from the phase signal for the conventional spoiled MR pulse sequence. We decompose the magnetization precession phase from the total phase offset including B{sub z} and optimize B{sub z} data using the steady-state equilibrium signal. Results from a real phantom experiment including different kinds of anomalies demonstrated that the proposed method enhanced B{sub z} comparing to a conventional spoiled pulse sequence.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Note: Design and implementation of a home-built imaging system with low jitter for cold atom experiments

A novel home-built system for imaging cold atom samples is presented using a readily available astronomy camera which has the requisite sensitivity but no timing-control. We integrate the camera with LabVIEW achieving fast, low-jitter imaging with a convenient user-defined interface. We show that our system takes precisely timed millisecond exposures and offers significant improvements in terms of system jitter and readout time over previously reported home-built systems. Our system rivals current commercial “black box” systems in performance and user-friendliness.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Multimode delta-E effect magnetic field sensors with adapted electrodes

We present an analytical and experimental study on low-noise piezoelectric thin film resonators that utilize the delta-E effect of a magnetostrictive layer to measure magnetic fields at low frequencies. Calculations from a physical model of the electromechanical resonator enable electrode designs to efficiently operate in the first and second transversal bending modes. As predicted by our calculations, the adapted electrode design improves the sensitivity by a factor of 6 and reduces the dynamic range of the sensor output by 16 dB, which significantly eases the requirements on readout electronics. Magnetic measurements show a bandwidth of 100 Hz at a noise level of about 100 pTHz{sup −0.5}.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Pilot tone as a key to improving the spatial resolution of eBPMs

At Elettra, the Italian synchrotron light source, an internal project has been started to develop an electron beam position monitor capable of achieving sub-micron resolution with a self-compensation feature. In order to fulfil these requirements, a novel RF front end has been designed. A high isolation coupler combines the input signals with a known pilot tone which is generated by the readout system. This allows the parameters of the four channels to be continuously calibrated, by compensating the different responses of each channel. A similar technique is already known, but for the first time experimental results have shown the improvement in resolution due to this method. The RF chain was coupled with a 4-channel digitizer based on 160 MHz, 16 bits ADCs and an Altera Stratix FPGA. At first, no additional processing was done in the FPGA, collecting only the raw data from the ADCs; the position was calculated through the FFT of each signal. A simulation was also performed to verify the analytic relation between spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio; this was very useful to better understand the behaviour of the system with different sources of noise (aperture jitter, thermal noise, etc.). The experimental data were compared with the simulation, showing indeed a perfect agreement with the latter and confirming the capability of the system to reach sub-micrometric accuracy. Therefore, the use of the pilot tone greatly improves the quality of the system, correcting the drifts and increasing the spatial resolution by a factor of 4 in a time window of 24 hours.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Fast broad-band photon detector based on quantum well devices and charge-integrating electronics for non-invasive FEL monitoring

The recent evolution of free-electron lasers has not been matched by the development of adequate beam-monitoring instrumentation. However, for both experimental and diagnostics purposes, it is crucial to keep such photon beams under control, avoiding at the same time the absorption of the beam and the possible destruction of the detector. These requirements can be fulfilled by utilizing fast and non-invasive photon detectors operated in situ, upstream from the experimental station. From this perspective, sensors based on Quantum Well (QW) devices can be the key to detecting ultra-short light pulses. In fact, owing to their high electron mobility, InGaAs/InAlAs QW devices operated at room temperature exhibit sub-nanosecond response times. Their direct, low-energy band gap renders them capable of detecting photons ranging from visible to X-ray. Furthermore, the 2D electron gas forming inside the QW is responsible for a charge amplification mechanism, which increases the charge collection efficiency of these devices. In order to acquire the signals produced by these QW sensors, a novel readout electronics has been developed. It is based on a high-speed charge integrator, which allows short, low-intensity current pulses to be read within a 50-ns window. The integrated signal is acquired through an ADC and the entire process can be performed at a 10-MHz repetition rate. This work provides a detailed description of the development of the QW detectors and the acquisition electronics, as well as reporting the main experimental results, which show how these tools are well suited for the realization of fast, broad-band beam monitors.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗