Development and Commercialization of Novel Two-Color X-ray Photon Counting Pixel Array Detector

Advanced new and upgraded synchrotron X-ray beamlines and sources are being constructed worldwide, and these facilities require fast new X-ray detectors to complement them and foster new scientific applications. In particular, new detector capabilities are desirable in the time domain, for the study of fast material and molecular kinetics, in the intensity domain for keeping up with brighter X-ray sources, and in the energy discrimination domain for combining area detection with new energy resolution techniques. This grant will be used to develop and commercialize a fast new hybrid pixel array detector for use in materials science experiments at these facilities. The new detector’s novel properties are the abilities to record two simultaneous X-ray images at different colors or sample times, and the ability to accurately measure much more intense X-rays than previously possible. This detector will be used for many new classes of experiments, such as pump-probe X-ray scattering, X-ray fluorescence, and time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy.In Phase I, a small-sized prototype X-ray detector was built around a 48x48 pixel chip, and software and firmware was developed to operate it and see the dual images it produces. The prototype detector’s functionality and novel features were demonstrated in X-ray tests, showing that its new dual gate functions can be used to sync the counters to multiple time points in experiments. In Phase II, a significantly larger-sized X-ray detector, with 768x704 pixels, will be designed and built in three stages (full-sized chip, then a multi-chip module, then a tiled multi-module detector). Each stage will be bench tested and characterized with X-rays, and at several points outside scientists will be invited to perform synchrotron experiments in real-world pump-probe experiments. Polished and user-friendly software will be designed and used to operate the detector in many experimental environments.The development of this X-ray detector into a mature, stable, commercial instrument promises to open the doors to new scientific and technological breakthroughs in many fields. These include those studying fast processes in materials, such as nanoscale devices, solar energy conversion and energy storage materials.