Development of the DEPFET sensor with signal compression: A large format X-ray imager with mega-frame readout capability for the European XFEL
01 Oct 2011-Vol. 59, Iss: 6, pp 3339-3351
TL;DR: The DSSC instrument as mentioned in this paper is based on a silicon pixel sensor with a DEPFET as a central amplifier structure and has detection efficiency close to 100% for X-rays from 0.5 keV up to 10 keV.
Abstract: We present the development of the DSSC instrument: an ultra-high speed detector system for the new European XFEL in Hamburg. The DSSC will be able to record X-ray images with a maximum frame rate of 4.5 MHz. The system is based on a silicon pixel sensor with a DEPFET as a central amplifier structure and has detection efficiency close to 100% for X-rays from 0.5 keV up to 10 keV. The sensor will have a size of approximately 210 × 210 mm composed of 1024 × 1024 pixels with hexagonal shape. Two hundred fifty six mixed signal readout ASICs are bump-bonded to the detector. They are designed in 130 nm CMOS technology and provide full parallel readout. The signals coming from the sensor are processed by an analog filter, immediately digitized by 8-bit ADCs and locally stored in an SRAM, which is able to record at least 640 frames. In order to fit the dynamic range of about 104 photons of 1 keV per pixel into a reasonable output signal range, achieving at the same time single 1 keV photon resolution, a non-linear characteristic is required. The proposed DEPFET provides the needed dynamic range compression at the sensor level. The most exciting and challenging property is that the single 1 keV photon resolution and the high dynamic range are accomplished within the 220 ns frame rate of the system. The key properties and the main design concepts of the different building blocks of the system are discussed. Measurements with the analog front-end of the readout ASIC and a standard DEPFET have already shown a very low noise which makes it possible to achieve the targeted single photon resolution for 1 keV photons at 4.5 MHz and also for 0.5 keV photons at half of the speed. In the paper the new experimental results obtained coupling a single pixel to an 8 × 8 ASIC prototype are shown. This 8 × 8 ASIC comprises the complete readout chain from the analog front-end to the ADC and the memory. The characterization of a newly fabricated non-linear DEPFET is presented for the first time.
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TL;DR: The SwissFEL X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) facility as discussed by the authors started construction at the Paul Scherrer Institute (Villigen, Switzerland) in 2013 and will be ready to accept its first users in 2018 on the Aramis hard Xray branch.
Abstract: The SwissFEL X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) facility started construction at the Paul Scherrer Institute (Villigen, Switzerland) in 2013 and will be ready to accept its first users in 2018 on the Aramis hard X-ray branch. In the following sections we will summarize the various aspects of the project, including the design of the soft and hard X-ray branches of the accelerator, the results of SwissFEL performance simulations, details of the photon beamlines and experimental stations, and our first commissioning results.
295 citations
Massachusetts Institute of Technology1, University of Mainz2, European XFEL3, Technical University of Berlin4, University of Göttingen5, University of Hamburg6, Heidelberg University7, Polytechnic University of Milan8, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare9, Radboud University Nijmegen10, University of Liège11
TL;DR: Atomistic simulations indicate that the fluctuation state largely reduces the topological energy barrier and thereby enables the observed rapid and homogeneous nucleation of the skyrmion phase, and suggest a path towards ultrafast topological switching in a wide variety of materials through intermediate fluctuating states.
Abstract: Topological states of matter exhibit fascinating physics combined with an intrinsic stability. A key challenge is the fast creation of topological phases, which requires massive reorientation of charge or spin degrees of freedom. Here we report the picosecond emergence of an extended topological phase that comprises many magnetic skyrmions. The nucleation of this phase, followed in real time via single-shot soft X-ray scattering after infrared laser excitation, is mediated by a transient topological fluctuation state. This state is enabled by the presence of a time-reversal symmetry-breaking perpendicular magnetic field and exists for less than 300 ps. Atomistic simulations indicate that the fluctuation state largely reduces the topological energy barrier and thereby enables the observed rapid and homogeneous nucleation of the skyrmion phase. These observations provide fundamental insights into the nature of topological phase transitions, and suggest a path towards ultrafast topological switching in a wide variety of materials through intermediate fluctuating states. Time-resolved X-ray scattering is utilized to demonstrate an ultrafast 300 ps topological phase transition to a skyrmionic phase. This transition is enabled by the formation of a transient topological fluctuation state.
71 citations
TL;DR: Hybrid and monolithic detectors for X-ray imaging are reviewed and new approaches are proposed for using nanofiltration and x-ray diffraction techniques to improve the quality of these detectors.
65 citations
TL;DR: The Adaptive Gain Integrating Pixel Detector (AGIPD) as mentioned in this paper is an X-ray imager, custom designed for the European Xray Free-Electron Laser (XFEL).
Abstract: The Adaptive Gain Integrating Pixel Detector (AGIPD) is an X-ray imager, custom designed for the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser (XFEL). It is a fast, low-noise integrating detector, with an adaptive gain amplifier per pixel. This has an equivalent noise of less than 1 keV when detecting single photons and, when switched into another gain state, a dynamic range of more than 104 photons of 12 keV. In burst mode the system is able to store 352 images while running at up to 6.5 MHz, which is compatible with the 4.5 MHz frame rate at the European XFEL. The AGIPD system was installed and commissioned in August 2017, and successfully used for the first experiments at the Single Particles, Clusters and Biomolecules (SPB) experimental station at the European XFEL since September 2017. This paper describes the principal components and performance parameters of the system.
55 citations
22 Mar 2013
TL;DR: In this article, an x-ray pixel array detector (PAD) capable of framing up to 1 kHz is described, which is constructed from a 3-side buttable, 128×128 pixel module based upon the mixed-mode pixel array detectors (MMPAD) chip developed jointly by Cornell and Area Detector Systems Corporation (Poway, CA).
Abstract: An x-ray pixel array detector (PAD) capable of framing up to 1 kHz is described. This hybrid detector is constructed from a 3-side buttable, 128×128 pixel module based upon the mixed-mode pixel array detector (MMPAD) chip developed jointly by Cornell and Area Detector Systems Corporation (Poway, CA). The chip uses a charge integrating front end for a high instantaneous count rate yet with single photon sensitivity. In-pixel circuitry utilizing a digital overflow counter extends the per frame dynamic range to >4×107 x-rays/pixel. Results are shown from a base configuration of a 2×3 module array (256×384 pixels).
52 citations
References
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University of Genoa1, University of Manchester2, KEK3, CERN4, Imperial College London5, Stanford University6, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research7, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare8, University of Pittsburgh9, Lyon College10, TRIUMF11, Northeastern University12, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility13, University of Córdoba (Spain)14, Goethe University Frankfurt15, University of Southampton16, University of Udine17, University of Alberta18, Tokyo Metropolitan University19, Helsinki Institute of Physics20, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI21, University of Bath22, Niigata University23, Naruto University of Education24, Kobe University25, University of Calabria26, University of Trieste27, European Space Agency28, University of Birmingham29, Ritsumeikan University30, Qinetiq31, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne32, Massachusetts Institute of Technology33, Brookhaven National Laboratory34
01 Jul 2003-Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A-accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment
TL;DR: The Gelfant 4 toolkit as discussed by the authors is a toolkit for simulating the passage of particles through matter, including a complete range of functionality including tracking, geometry, physics models and hits.
Abstract: G eant 4 is a toolkit for simulating the passage of particles through matter. It includes a complete range of functionality including tracking, geometry, physics models and hits. The physics processes offered cover a comprehensive range, including electromagnetic, hadronic and optical processes, a large set of long-lived particles, materials and elements, over a wide energy range starting, in some cases, from 250 eV and extending in others to the TeV energy range. It has been designed and constructed to expose the physics models utilised, to handle complex geometries, and to enable its easy adaptation for optimal use in different sets of applications. The toolkit is the result of a worldwide collaboration of physicists and software engineers. It has been created exploiting software engineering and object-oriented technology and implemented in the C++ programming language. It has been used in applications in particle physics, nuclear physics, accelerator design, space engineering and medical physics.
18,904 citations
11 Apr 1997-Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A-accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment
TL;DR: ROOT, written in C++, contains an efficient hierarchical OO database, a C++ interpreter, advanced statistical analysis (multi-dimensional histogramming, fitting, minimization, cluster finding algorithms) and visualization tools.
Abstract: The ROOT system in an Object Oriented framework for large scale data analysis. ROOT written in C++, contains, among others, an efficient hierarchical OO database, a C++ interpreter, advanced statistical analysis (multi-dimensional histogramming, fitting, minimization, cluster finding algorithms) and visualization tools. The user interacts with ROOT via a graphical user interface, the command line or batch scripts. The command and scripting language is C++ (using the interpreter) and large scripts can be compiled and dynamically linked in. The OO database design has been optimized for parallel access (reading as well as writing) by multiple processes.
4,586 citations
TL;DR: The ROOT system in an Object Oriented framework for large scale data analysis contains an efficient hierarchical 00 database, a C ++ interpreter, and advanced statistical analysis (multi-dimensional histogramming, fitting, minimization, cluster finding algorithms) and visualization tools.
Abstract: The ROOT system in an Object Oriented framework for large scale data analysis. ROOT written in C ++, contains, among others, an efficient hierarchical 00 database, a C ++ interpreter. advanced statistical analysis (multi-dimensional histogramming, fitting, minimization, cluster finding algorithms) and visualization tools. The user interacts with ROOT via a graphical user interface, the command line or batch scripts. The command and scripting language is C + + (using the interpreter) and large scripts can be compiled and dynamically linked in. The 00 database design has been optimized for parallel access (reading as well as writing) by multiple processes.
1,038 citations
483 citations
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...In order to calculate the electronics noise associated to our detector, we can extend the definition of equivalent noise charge (ENC) usually adopted for linear systems [8,9]....
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11 Mar 2010-Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A-accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment
TL;DR: In this article, the Max Planck Advanced Study Group (ASG) within the Center for Free Electron Laser Science (CFEL) has designed the CFEL-ASG MultiPurpose (CAMP) chamber.
Abstract: Fourth generation accelerator-based light sources, such as VUV and X-ray Free Electron Lasers (FEL), deliver ultra-brilliant (∼1012–1013 photons per bunch) coherent radiation in femtosecond (∼10–100 fs) pulses and, thus, require novel focal plane instrumentation in order to fully exploit their unique capabilities. As an additional challenge for detection devices, existing (FLASH, Hamburg) and future FELs (LCLS, Menlo Park; SCSS, Hyogo and the European XFEL, Hamburg) cover a broad range of photon energies from the EUV to the X-ray regime with significantly different bandwidths and pulse structures reaching up to MHz micro-bunch repetition rates. Moreover, hundreds up to trillions of fragment particles, ions, electrons or scattered photons can emerge when a single light flash impinges on matter with intensities up to 1022 W/cm2. In order to meet these challenges, the Max Planck Advanced Study Group (ASG) within the Center for Free Electron Laser Science (CFEL) has designed the CFEL-ASG MultiPurpose (CAMP) chamber. It is equipped with specially developed photon and charged particle detection devices dedicated to cover large solid-angles. A variety of different targets are supported, such as atomic, (aligned) molecular and cluster jets, particle injectors for bio-samples or fixed target arrangements. CAMP houses 4π solid-angle ion and electron momentum imaging spectrometers (“reaction microscope”, REMI, or “velocity map imaging”, VMI) in a unique combination with novel, large-area, broadband (50 eV–25 keV), high-dynamic-range, single-photon-counting and imaging X-ray detectors based on the pnCCDs. This instrumentation allows a new class of coherent diffraction experiments in which both electron and ion emission from the target may be simultaneously monitored. This permits the investigation of dynamic processes in this new regime of ultra-intense, high-energy radiation—matter interaction. After an introduction into the salient features of the CAMP chamber and the properties of the redesigned REMI/VMI spectrometers, the new 1024×1024 pixel format pnCCD imaging detector system will be described in detail. Results of tests of four smaller format (256×512) devices of identical performance, conducted at FLASH and BESSY, will be presented and the concept as well as the anticipated properties of the full, large-scale system will be elucidated. The data obtained at both radiation sources illustrate the unprecedented performance of the X-ray detectors, which have a voxel size of 75×75×450 μm3 and a typical read-out noise of 2.5 electrons (rms) at an operating temperature of −50 °C.
305 citations