Speaker
Description
Detector performance often hinders the efficiency of advanced synchrotron-based techniques such as X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) spectroscopy measured in fluorescence mode, which is essential for probing the electronic structure and elemental composition. To overcome these limitations, the XAFS-DET WP of the European LEAPS-INNOV project has developed a monolithic multielement high-purity germanium (HPGe)
detector that will offer a high energy resolution and detection efficiency in the hard X-ray regime compared to conventional silicon drift detectors (SDDs).
This detector incorporates a thermally optimized mechanical design, an electronics chain featuring TETRA low-noise preamplifiers capable of handling high count rates (20–250 kcps/mm²) with low dead time, and a digital pulse processing stage for enhancing the performance by effectively rejecting charge-shared events.
In a recent characterization campaign conducted at the ESRF facility, the detector response was evaluated using 2D scans with a direct X-ray beam across the 20–50 keV energy range. These scans assessed spatial uniformity, count rate performance, and energy resolution under varying flux conditions. Following this, the first fluorescence spectra were successfully acquired using samples including elemental foils (Sb, Ag), a CsI glass, a GdTb scintillator, and an EnviroMAT soil
sample.
The campaign also identified the need for further optimization, specifically in reducing system noise and enhancing electronic stability to support long-duration, high-count-rate experiments.
