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RIKENAdvanced Science Research Center (ASRC)College of Science and EngineeringEngineering Science LaboratoryNISTOsakaRikkyo University 1Saitama University 14Tokyo Metropolitan University 2Jan 12, 2021arXiv:2604.21846This paper reports on the successful operation and performance evaluation of a transition-edge sensor (TES) spectrometer at the SPring-8 synchrotron x-ray light source, achieving 4 eV energy resolution at 6 keV with 220 pixels operating simultaneously. The spectrometer's tolerance for high count rates was empirically optimized to ∼2 × 103 c/s (all pixels) with 5 eV resolution at 6 keV. The TES's wideband spectroscopic capability enabled simultaneous multi-element XANES analysis, resolving weak fluorescence lines from dilute samples and trace elements previously obscured by overlapping emission lines.
Resolve previously undetectable trace elements with hard x-ray spectroscopy using transition edge sensors, opening new analytical possibilities.
We have succeeded in operating a transition-edge sensor (TES) spectrometer and evaluating its performance at the SPring-8 synchrotron x-ray light source. The TES spectrometer consists of a 240 pixel National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) TES system, and 220 pixels are operated simultaneously with an energy resolution of 4 eV at 6 keV at a rate of ∼1 c/s pixel-1. The tolerance for high count rates is evaluated in terms of energy resolution and live time fraction, leading to an empirical compromise of ∼2 × 103 c/s (all pixels) with an energy resolution of 5 eV at 6 keV. By utilizing the TES's wideband spectroscopic capability, simultaneous multi-element analysis is demonstrated for a standard sample. We conducted x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) analysis in fluorescence mode using the TES spectrometer. The excellent energy resolution of the TES enabled us to detect weak fluorescence lines from dilute samples and trace elements that have previously been difficult to resolve due to the nearly overlapping emission lines of other dominant elements. The neighboring lines of As Kα and Pb Lα2 of the standard sample were clearly resolved, and the XANES of Pb Lα2 was obtained. Moreover, the x-ray spectrum from the small amount of Fe in aerosols was distinguished from the spectrum of a blank target, which helps us to understand the targets and the environment. These results are the first important step for the application of high resolution TES-based spectroscopy at hard x-ray synchrotron facilities.
