Sydor Instruments, LLC — Department of Energy STTR Phase II: 04a

Description

The capabilities of modern x-ray light sources have opened up new areas of research in the study of in- situ fast irreversible processes. Irreversible processes or “single shot” experiments are challenging since they require detectors that can obtain a succession of x-ray images within the time frame of the process in question. This requires high sensitivity, wide dynamic range x-ray detection at frame rates approaching the bunch repetition rates of modern light sources. However, the capability to do such research is limited by the current state of detector technology. Statement of how this problem is being addressed The proposed program will advance the development of a novel fast framing hybridized x-ray imaging detector conceived within a national laboratory. The hybridized detector is proven capable of acquiring up to 12 successive x-ray images at frame rates of ~7 MHz with single x-ray (e.g., @10keV) sensitivity and with a dynamic range exceeding 103 x-rays/pixel/frame. These performance features have been recently demonstrated using time-resolved x-ray diffraction techniques. The proposed program will leverage the current developments at the national laboratory to transition the technology from prototype into a commercial instrument. What is to be done in Phase I? The Phase I effort will demonstrate the feasibility of developing a detector architecture to meet immediate and future detector needs for emerging applications in the study of fast irreversible processes. The first task for the proposed work is to address the limited sensor array configuration capability of the current prototype by developing a new hybrid sensor module that could be tiled in larger arrays. Secondly, efforts will focus on developing the detector housing, supporting electronics and software for the new sensor hybridized module. Subsequent commercial engineering efforts will expand the utility of the detector and culminate in a robust commercial instrument. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits The commercialization of the fast framing hybridized x-ray imaging detector will provide researchers with unprecedented capabilities not available today in commercial x-ray detectors. The ability of acquiring x-ray data in the MHz regime through direct x-ray detection would allow users to extract more time resolved data from a single-shot or irreversible-process experiment with high accuracy. In addition, the modular format of the proposed hybridized detector will allow new detector configurations and thus increase the range of the reciprocal space sampled per frame. These advancements will help overcome the limitations which in many cases currently hinder the science yielded from the study of fast irreversible processes.