Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

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TT: Fachverband Tiefe Temperaturen

TT 60: SC \& MLT: Cryodetectors

TT 60.5: Talk

Friday, March 18, 2011, 12:00–12:15, HSZ 301

Physics and Applications of Metallic Magnetic Calorimeters — •C. Pies, S. Heuser, A. Kampkötter, S. Kempf, J.-P. Porst, P. Ranitzsch, S. Schäfer, S. Vick, T. Wolf, L. Gastaldo, A. Fleischmann, and C. Enss — Kirchhoff-Institut für Physik, INF 227, 69120 Heidelberg

Metallic Magnetic Calorimeters (MMCs) are calorimetric particle detectors which are typically operated at temperatures below 100 mK. A paramagnetic sensor material is used to convert the temperature rise due to the absorbtion of a massive particle or photon to a change of magnetic flux which is detected by a SQUID magnetometer.

Since the thermodynamic properties of the detectors can be predicted with confidence, MMCs can be designed for specific applications with optimized performance concerning detection efficiency and energy resolution. Currently, an energy resolution of 2.7 eV (FWHM) for x-ray photons with energies of 6 keV has been achieved with fully micro-fabricated detectors and resolutions below 1 eV are expected for the next generation of devices. MMCs are being developed for a wide range of applications including x-ray spectroscopy of highly charged ions, direct neutrino mass measurements by beta spectroscopy, x-ray cameras for astronomy, calibration of radiation standards in metrology and spatially resolved detection of molecular fragments.

We present an introduction to the physics of MMCs and detector geometries for a variety of applications and discuss design considerations and micro-fabrication processes of current devices and their experimental performance.