Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “preamplifiers”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

50 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Method and apparatus for evaluating superconducting tunnel junction detector noise versus bias voltage

A technique for characterizing the noise behavior of a superconducting tunnel junction (STJ) detector as a function of its applied bias voltage Vb by stepping the STJ's bias voltage across a predetermined range and, at each applied bias, making multiple measurements of the detector's current, calculating their mean and their standard deviation from their mean, and using this standard deviation as a measure of the STJ detector's noise at that applied bias. Because the method is readily executed under computer control, it is particularly useful when large numbers of STJ detectors require biasing, as in STJ detector arrays In a preferred implementation, the STJ is measured under computer control by attaching it to a digital spectrometer comprising a digital x-ray processor (DXP) coupled to a preamplifier that can set the STJ's bias voltage Vb using a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) controlled by the DXP.

Warburton, William K.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Evaluation of radiation hardness of semiconductor materials against alpha particles for an API detector

An Associated Particle Imaging (API) system consists of a high vacuum chamber where deuterium ions are accelerated on a tritium-loaded target, resulting in alpha particles and neutrons emitted back-to-back, the latter escaping the chamber and used, for example, for tomography of a high-Z sample. An accurate determination of the alpha position is crucial to determine the trajectory of the neutron. Existing API systems have several limitations which a semiconductor-based API detector placed inside the vacuum chamber should not present. The semiconductor material can be either silicon or diamond. In particular, large and fast signals are generated by the alpha interactions in these materials. A pixelated API detector will measure the time and hit position of the alphas produced in the reaction. However, during the lifetime of the generator, the semiconductor detector will be exposed to an intense flux of alpha particles that will degrade its performance over time. To assess the radiation hardness of silicon and diamond against the alpha particles, we exposed single diodes made of either of the two materials to a 5 MeV alpha flux generated by an 241Am radioactive source. During irradiation, the diodes were biased and mounted on current-sensitive preamplifier boards. We have therefore been able to measure insitu the evolution of the waveforms as the damage was accumulating in their substrates.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Readout of Large Capacitance SiPMs by Weak Coupling to Charge Sensitive Amplifier

Large area and large capacitance silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays are employed to collect scintillation light in noble liquid time projection chambers (TPC) such as DarkSide, nEXO, MEGII, protoDUNE and DUNE. Light readout using ASICs designed for operation in noble liquids is a solution for large meter-scale photon detectors. However, conventional readout requires a high voltage decoupling capacitor larger than SiPM capacitance (in the range of tens of nF) to achieve full charge transfer to the preamplifier. Here, we demonstrate a readout concept by weakly coupling (via a capacitor lower by an order of magnitude than SiPM capacitance) to a charge sensitive amplifier, LArASIC in this case, without any loss in the signal to noise ratio (S/N). The single-photoelectron detection, signal-to-noise ratio, timing resolution, and coincidence detection are experimentally characterized.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Using Cosmic Ray Muons to Assess Geological Characteristics in the Subsurface

Cosmic rays are energetic nuclei and elementary particles that originate from stars and intergalactic events. The interaction of these particles with the upper atmosphere produces a wide range of secondary particles that reach the surface of the earth, of which muons are the most prominent. With enough energy, muons can travel up to a few kilometers beneath the surface of the earth before being stopped completely. The terrestrial muon flux profile and associated zenith angle can be utilized to determine geological characteristics of a location (e.g., rock overburden and density) without having to use conventional methods such as boreholes. This work uses a low-power plastic scintillator-based muon detection system as a prototype for this non-destructive geological assay methodology. Four custom designed 102 cm x 51 cm x 5 cm plastic scintillation panels are used to realize two orthogonal detection planes. Optical photons from each scintillation panel are read using OnSemi J-Series 4x4 silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays in conjunction with preamplifiers. Simultaneous triggers between detectors from two planes indicate a coincidence event which is recorded using the QuarkNet data acquisition system (DAQ) from Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. A custom detector holder was designed to securely mount the detection system and rotate the panels along the zenith to collect data at variable angles. In order to quantify the systematic uncertainties associated with the detector, such as energy depositions and angular resolution of the detector design, a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation using Geant4 is being developed. Cosmic ray flux prediction will be included in the project by adding the CORSIKA MC code to the simulation toolchain. Simulated and experimental data will drive the development and validation of a reconstruction algorithm that, upon completion, is expected to predict average overburden and rock density. Extended detector exposure to muons can be used as a means to understand changes in the surrounding environment like rock porosity. On the experimental front, muons will initially be measured at the surface, establishing the baseline flux. This is followed by recording the muon flux at variable depths and zenith angles, where the data will be used by the reconstruction algorithm to predict the overburden. The result will be benchmarked against geological surveys. The measured flux data will also be used to benchmark independent and established models. Successful proof-of-concept demonstration of this technology can open doors for long term non-invasive geological monitoring. The detector design, experimental methodology, and the benchmarking efforts are detailed in this work.

Gadey, Harish Reddy↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Cryogenic Readout IC with 100 KSPS in-Pixel ADC for Skipper CCD-in-CMOS Sensors

The Skipper CCD-in-CMOS Parallel Read-Out Circuit (SPROCKET) is a mixed-signal front-end design for the readout of Skipper CCD-in-CMOS image sensors. SPROCKET is fabricated in a 65 nm CMOS process and each pixel occupies a 50$\mu$m $\times$ 50$\mu$m footprint. SPROCKET is intended to be heterogeneously integrated with a Skipper-in-CMOS sensor array, such that one readout pixel is connected to a multiplexed array of nine Skipper-in-CMOS pixels to enable massively parallel readout. The front-end includes a variable gain preamplifier, a correlated double sampling circuit, and a 10-bit serial successive approximation register (SAR) ADC. The circuit achieves a sample rate of 100 ksps with 0.48 $\mathrm{e^-_{rms}}$ equivalent noise at the input to the ADC. SPROCKET achieves a maximum dynamic range of 9,000 $e^-$ at the lowest gain setting (or 900 $e^-$ at the lowest noise setting). The circuit operates at 100 Kelvin with a power consumption of 40 $\mu W$ per pixel. A SPROCKET test chip was submitted in September 2022, and test results will be presented at the conference.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

The Future Electron-Ion Collider

Generalized Parton Distributions include rich information and became a powerful tool for studying hadron structure. Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering is the golden channel to access GPDs. The development of high luminosity and high-acceptance detectors (Electron-Ion Collider) allows physicists to overcome the difficulty of DVCS measurements. The outstanding performance of the accelerator performs the eA collisions at the center of mass energy from 20 to 140 GeV, while the luminosity at the scale of 1034 cm?2s?1. The new type of high-density crystal, PWO-II, produced by CRYTUR in 2×2×20 cm3 will be utilized in the calorimeter. The transparency of PWO-II crystals is > 70% at 620 nm, > 60% at 420 nm, and >35% at 360 nm. The crystals also show good radiation hardness under 30 Gy radiation exposure. Ten PWO-II crystals have a uniform light yield at 30 p.e./MeV, providing sufficient light yield to reduce the fluctuation of the energy measurements. Near 3000 crystals were constructed inside the 12-sided polygon supporting structure in the simulation. The island clustering algorithm was used for reconstructed the energy. The energy resolution study by the particle gun shows the stochastic term and constant term are 1.8% and 1.2%, respectively. The spatial resolution of NEEMC varies from 5% to 15% of the crystal?s width depending on the particle?s incident angle. The pion rejection of NEEMC can reach 103 with electron efficiency > 85% when the particle?s energy is larger than 1GeV. The Pi0- identified efficiency study can be interpreted as finding the local maxima in the single cluster caused by two high energy close photons. The study results show that efficiency is nearly 100% for pi0 energy is smaller than 10 GeV, and efficiency drops to 30% with 20 GeV pi0. The new type of 3x3 pixelated AC-LGAD were wire bonded to ALTIROC for performance test. The cross-talk between the adjacent channels is about 20% for VPA and 10% for TZ. A series of the TDC characteristic measurements show that the jitter for both preamplifiers is about 20 ps, and the time-walk effect is mild for inject charge > 12 pF. Furthermore, the beta source radiation results quantify the sharing scale of the 3x3 pixels AC-LGAD (? 20%). The electronics simulation study results show no significant changes in the spatial resolution, whether ADC resolution is 8, 10, or 12 bits. The 8-bit ADC is decided to use in the EICROC as it has a smaller size and power consumption than the 10-bit and 12-bit ADC. The ECCE is one of the full detector proposals for EIC. The new type of DVCS generator, called TOPEG, is used to generate the high acceptance beam configurations of 18×110 GeV2 electron and 4He. The acceptance study shows a -1.8 < ? < -1.4 gap between the BEMC and EEMC. The 10?x,y geometry cut is applied on the Roman Pots, so the acceptance of Roman Pots quickly drops to 0% when the polar angle of the recoiled 4He < 2 mrad. This primary ECCE simulation study suggests extending the acceptance of BEMC longitudinally as the structure limits the radial size of EEMC. The acceptance of the Roman Pots is still challenging. In 2023, The overall design of ePIC was finalized by merging two full detector proposals (ECCE and ATHENA) after a series of intensive simulation studies.

Wang, Pu-Kai↗
DOE OSTI2024

Smart Pixels: In-pixel AI for on-sensor data filtering

We present a smart pixel prototype readout integrated circuit (ROIC) designed in CMOS 28 nm bulk process, with in-pixel implementation of an artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) based data filtering algorithm designed as proof-of-principle for a Phase III upgrade at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) pixel detector. The first version of the ROIC consists of two matrices of 256 smart pixels, each 25$\times$25 $\mu$m$^2$ in size. Each pixel consists of a charge-sensitive preamplifier with leakage current compensation and three auto-zero comparators for a 2-bit flash-type ADC. The frontend is capable of synchronously digitizing the sensor charge within 25 ns. Measurement results show an equivalent noise charge (ENC) of $\sim$30e$^-$ and a total dispersion of $\sim$100e$^-$ The second version of the ROIC uses a fully connected two-layer neural network (NN) to process information from a cluster of 256 pixels to determine if the pattern corresponds to highly desirable high-momentum particle tracks for selection and readout. The digital NN is embedded in-between analog signal processing regions of the 256 pixels without increasing the pixel size and is implemented as fully combinatorial digital logic to minimize power consumption and eliminate clock distribution, and is active only in the presence of an input signal. The total power consumption of the neural network is $\sim$ 300 $\mu$W. The NN performs momentum classification based on the generated cluster patterns and even with a modest momentum threshold, it is capable of 54.4% - 75.4% total data rejection, opening the possibility of using the pixel information at 40MHz for the trigger. The total power consumption of analog and digital functions per pixel is $\sim$ 6 $\mu$W per pixel, which corresponds to $\sim$ 1 W/cm$^2$ staying within the experimental constraints.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Commissioning of the Mu2e tracker DAQ, planning for the Vertical Slice Test and pre-pattern recognition studies

The primary objective of the Mu2e experiment at Fermilab is to search for the neutrino-less coherent $\mu \rightarrow e$ conversion in the field of an aluminum nucleus ($\mu^- \text{Al} \rightarrow e^- \text{Al}$). The signature of this process is a monochromatic Conversion Electron (CE) with an energy of approximately 104.97 MeV \cite{bartoszek2015mu2e}. Within the Standard Model (SM), the branching ratio for this process, including neutrino masses and oscillation, is expected to be less than $\mathcal{O}(10^{-50})$. This value is far beyond current experimental capabilities. However, models of physics beyond the SM predict much higher relative rates, approaching an observable level. The SINDRUM II experiment set an upper limit on muon conversion at $7 \times 10^{-13}$ (90\% CL) on Au target \cite{SINDRUMII:2006dvw}, and the Mu2e collaboration aims to improve this limit by four orders of magnitude. Observing this process would provide a clear evidence of physics beyond the Standard Model. A brief discussion of the theoretical and experimental aspects is provided in Chapter \ref{intr}. Mu2e adopts a sophisticated experimental setup to achieve its goals, further described in Chapter \ref{mu2echapter}. The central part of the Mu2e detector is the tracker, that consists of 18 tracking stations. The tracker must provide excellent momentum resolution, approximately 1 MeV/c, to distinguish the monochromatic CE signal from the background. To minimize the energy losses, a straw tube tracker will be used \cite{bobbb}. Chapter \ref{chaptertrk} provides an overview of the straw tracker design and its working principles. This Thesis presents a comprehensive study of the Mu2e tracker, covering complementary aspects from initial commissioning to optimization and first steps of the calibration processes. My work at Fermilab has been focused on the complete Data Acquisition (DAQ) testing from both hardware and software perspectives. I was involved in the commissioning of the Mu2e DAQ system and the Vertical Slice Test (VST) of the tracker. The VST encompasses the entire testing chain, from the straws to the readout, and to processed data on disk. I was also focused on the offline analysis, especially on pre-pattern recognition studies, to explore the best methods for identifying $\delta$-electrons during the data taking. Chapter \ref{commissioning} details the commissioning of the tracker DAQ system, emphasizing the importance of understanding of the readout process before the data acquisition. This includes validating the readout logic and firmware through Monte Carlo simulations to confirm functionality and buffering, monitoring the quality of the data from the tracker preamplifiers and front-end electronics, and assessing overall DAQ performance to ensure reliability during future calibration and data-taking. Chapter \ref{planning} discusses the initial steps towards the tracker calibration. The ultimate goal is to perform a time calibration of the first assembled station of the tracker using cosmic muons, aiming for a longitudinal hit position resolution better than 4 cm. This involves determining the signal propagation times and channel-to-channel delays. I performed a Monte Carlo study to determine the impact of the station orientation on the quality of the calibration, in particular on the cosmic track reconstruction, focusing on potential biases that could arise. These studies provide essential insights into the operation, optimization, and calibration of the Mu2e tracker system. Given the high data volume expected during Mu2e operations, estimated at approximately 7 PBytes per year, optimizing memory usage and minimizing CPU consumption are critical. A significant challenge lies in effectively flagging $\delta$-electron hits, which are the primary source of hits in the tracker, without compromising the efficiency of CE hit detection and track reconstruction. A detailed study of pre-pattern recognition and a thorough comparison of two $\delta$-electron flagging algorithms is provided in Chapter \ref{delta}. In Chapter \ref{conclusions}, the findings are concisely summarized, offering a comprehensive synthesis of the research and emphasizing the key insights derived from this study.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Novel, Middle and Long Wave Infrared Laser Sources For Accelerator Applications

The main accomplishment during Years 2020-2024 of the DOE Accelerator Stewardship Program is proof-of-principle demonstration of amplification of an ultrashort 10 µm seed pulse in a multiatmosphere CO 2 laser optically pumped by nanosecond pulses of either a ~4.3 µm Fe:ZnSe laser or a 2.8 µm electro-optically (EO) Q-switched Er: Laser. This has been accomplished at the UCLA Neptune Laboratory by using about 100 mJ, ~100 ns long pulses generated by the pump laser built for this purpose by the UAB team. Implementation of EO Q-switching regime in the solid-state Er:laser system made possible nanosecond synchronization between the pump pulse and the 0.5 ps seed pulse produced by a commercial Ti:sapphire laser based mid-IR OPA/DFG. The injection mode-locking regime realized in a compact Mult atmosphere 3 Hz CO 2 -He regenerative amplifier enabled generation of a train of ultrashort pulses separated by the cavity round-trip time of ~3.2 ns. The measured gain lifetime of ~1 µs at a total pressure of ~12-15 atm indicates that lifetime of the upper laser level is a critical limiting factor in designing high-pressure CO 2 amplifiers. A single picosecond 10 mm pulse with an energy 0.1-0.2 mJ was extracted from the amplifier’s cavity using an ultrafast Ge semiconductor switch whose reflectivity was photo-induced by a femtosecond 800 nm pulse. For direct amplification regime, nonlinear absorption in Ge at 10 mm at GW/cm 2 intensities limited the extracted energy. Therefore, the generated energy could be further increased by minimizing losses in the switch and optimizing the cavity mode size. Based on the obtained data in collaboration with BNL colleagues, we have designed a high-pressure CO 2 amplifier to be used as a preamplifier for the future experiments at the ATF BNL. The latter work is the subject of funding availability.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Mu2e Tracker Electronics - Construction of a Straw Tracker

The Mu2e experiment, currently under construction at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) in Batavia, Illinois, is a particle physics experiment designed to detect Charged Lepton Flavor Violation (CLFV) via muon-to-electron conversion, a process beyond the Standard Model (BSM). One of the primary Mu2e detectors is the Straw Tracker, whose purpose is to measure the momentum of the electron, identify the signal, and reject background. The straw tubes are being read out by a total of 20,736 preamplifiers (preamps) within 36 planes that make up the Tracker. In this presentation, the installation of electronics into the Tracker, the implementation of anti-oscillation copper clips, and the process of installing fully constructed planes into the frame will be discussed in depth.

Lynch, Alec [UC, Berkeley]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Mu2e Tracker Electronics - Construction of a Straw Tracker

The Mu2e experiment, located at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), also known as Fermilab, in Batavia, Illinois, is an in-progress particle physics experiment aiming to detect Charged Lepton Flavor Violation (CLFV) via the $\mu^-Al\rightarrow e^-Al$ interaction, a Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) process. One of the sections of the Mu2e experiment is the Tracker, which aims to identify the signal and reject the background while the experiment is running. A total of 20,736 Calibration (CAL) and High-Voltage (HV) preamplifiers (preamps) are being installed within 36 planes that make up the Tracker. During this process, MHz oscillations were discovered on the CAL preamps, obscuring desired signal detection in the \~kHz range. To solve this issue, copper clips are installed onto the CALs to remove the MHz oscillations. The installation of electronics into the Tracker will be discussed in depth.

Lynch, Alec Michael [UC, Berkeley; Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Sub-Electron-Noise Multi-Channel Cryogenic Skipper-CCD Readout ASIC

The MIDNA application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is a skipper-CCD readout chip fabricated in a 65 nm LP-CMOS process that is capable of working at cryogenic temperatures. The chip integrates four front-end channels that process the skipper-CCD signal and performs differential averaging using a dual slope integration (DSI) circuit. Each readout channel contains a pre-amplifier, a DC restorer, and a dual-slope integrator with chopping capability. The integrator chopping is a key system design element in order to mitigate the effect of low-frequency noise produced by the integrator itself, and it is not often required with standard CCDs. Each channel consumes 4.5 mW of power, occupies 0.156 mm${^2}$ area and has an input referred noise of 2.7${\mu\nu}_{rms}$. It is demonstrated experimentally to achieve sub-electron noise when coupled with a skipper-CCD by means of averaging samples of each pixel. Here, sub-electron noise is shown in three different acquisition approaches. The signal range is 6000 electrons. The readout system achieves 0.2${e^{-}}$ RMS by averaging 1000 samples with MIDNA both at room temperature and at 180 Kelvin.

1/f noise↗
DOE OSTI2023

Design and Characterization of the Engineering Model of the Spectrometer Onboard LuSEE-Night

The Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Explorer - Night, LuSEE-Night, is a low-frequency radio astronomy experiment that will explore the cosmic Dark Ages signal on the radio quiet farside of the Moon. The LuSEE-Night carries a radio frequency spectrometer consisting of a set of antennas, analog and digital processing electronics, and will be launched by NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services in 2025. The spectrometer is designed to observe the spectrum of the radio sky in the 0.5−50MHz band. The engineering model (EM) of the four-channel spectrometer has been developed. The EM has been characterized for linearity, gain, noise, and their temperature dependence, confirming that the EM meets all the requirements for LuSEE-Night. Three mitigation techniques have been implemented and verified to suppress self-induced electromagnetic interference (EMI). The flight model of the spectrometer is currently being developed and is scheduled to be shipped to the integration site in early 2024

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Integrated Circuit Design for Radiation-Hardened Charge-Sensitive Amplifier Survived up to 2 Mrad

According to the continuous development of metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) fabrication technology, transistors have naturally become more radiation-tolerant through steadily decreasing gate-oxide thickness, increasing the tunneling probability between gate-oxide and channel. Unfortunately, despite this radiation-hardened property of developed transistors, the field of nuclear power plants (NPPs) requires even higher radiation hardness levels. Particularly, total ionizing dose (TID) of approximately 1 Mrad could be required for readout circuitry under severe accident conditions with 100 Mrad around a reactor in-core required. In harsh radiating environments such as NPPs, sensors such as micro-pocket-fission detectors (MPFD) would be a promising technology to be operated for detecting neutrons in reactor cores. For those sensors, readout circuits should be fundamentally placed close to sensing devices for minimizing signal interferences and white noise. Therefore, radiation hardening ability is necessary for the circuits under high radiation environments. This paper presents various integrated circuit designs for a radiation hardened charge-sensitive amplifier (CSA) by using SiGe 130 nm and Si 180 nm fabrication processes with different channel widths and transistor types of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) and bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS). These circuits were tested under γ–ray environment with Cobalt-60 of high level activity: 490 kCi. The experiment results indicate amplitude degradation of 2.85%–34.3%, fall time increase of 201–1730 ns, as well as a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 0.07–11.6 dB decrease with irradiation dose increase. These results can provide design guidelines for radiation hardening operational amplifiers in terms of transistor sizes and structures.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗