Development of a high resolution alpha spectrometer using a magnetic calorimeter

We have developed a high resolution alpha spectrometer with a magnetic calorimeter. The operating principle of the detector is the calorimetric measurement of the temperature increase from particle absorption in a gold foil absorber at milli-Kelvin temperatures. A magnetic calorimeter made of gold doped with erbium on a superconducting meander pickup coil was used to accurately measure the temperature change, thereby acting as an ultra-sensitive thermometer. The detector demonstrated 1.2 keV FWHM equivalent resolution in alpha particle detection with an 241Am source. Many peaks were observed in the low-energy region from the absorption of low-energy X-rays, gamma rays, and conversion electrons. An energy resolution of 400 eV FWHM was achieved for 60 keV gamma rays that were measured with the alpha particles. Possible applications of such high resolution detectors are discussed.