Metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMC): detectors for high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy

X-ray detectors based on the concept of magnetic calorimetry are well suited for high-resolution spectroscopy. Metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMC) make use of a metallic paramagnetic temperature sensor, which is in tight thermal contact with a metallic X-ray absorber. The paramagnetic sensor is placed in a small magnetic field. Its magnetization is used to monitor the temperature, which in turn is related to the internal energy of the calorimeter. High-energy resolution can be obtained by using a low-noise, high-bandwidth DC SQUID to measure the small change in magnetization upon the absorption of an X-ray. With recent prototype detectors an energy resolution of DeltaE(FWHM) = 3.4 eV for X-ray energies up to 6.5 keV has been achieved. We discuss general design considerations, the thermodynamic properties of such calorimeters, the energy resolution, and the various sources of noise, which are observed in MMCs. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.