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US 10,310,096 B2Granted
Device and method for detecting radiation
OwnerAlfred Fuchsinventor
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OwnerAlfred Fuchsinventor
Estimating the term…
An apparatus (7) for detecting radiation, preferably x-ray radiation, the apparatus comprising at least one detector element (11) which comprises an absorber element (1) for the radiation and a nanowire (2) made of a superconducting material in thermally conducting communication with the absorber element (1), wherein cooling means (34) are provided in order to cool the absorber element (1) and the nanowire (2) to a temperature in the range of the transition temperature of the nanowire (2) in an operating state of the apparatus (7) and wherein an evaluation and control unit (6) is provided to determine whether the nanowire (2) is in a superconducting state or not. According to the invention it is provided that at least one heating means (8) which can be controlled by means of the evaluation and control unit (6) is provided in order to be able to supply a thermal energy pulse to the absorber element (1), wherein the evaluation and control unit (6) is designed to continuously supply energy pulses to the absorber element (1) in the operating state of the apparatus (7) as long as the nanowire (2) is in the superconducting state.
An apparatus for detecting radiation, the apparatus comprising at least one detector element which comprises an absorber element for the radiation and a nanowire made of a superconducting material in thermally conducting communication with the absorber element, wherein cooling means are provided in order to cool the absorber element and the nanowire of the at least one detector element to a temperature in the range of the transition temperature of the nanowire in an operating state of the apparatus and wherein an evaluation and control unit is provided to determine whether the nanowire of the at least one detector element is in a superconducting state or not, characterized in that at least one heating means which can be controlled by means of the evaluation and control unit is provided in order to be able to supply a thermal energy pulse to the absorber element of the at least one detector element, wherein the evaluation and control unit is designed to continuously supply energy pulses to the absorber element of the at least one detector element in the operating state of the apparatus as long as the nanowire of the at least one detector element is in the superconducting state.
A method for detecting radiation by means of a detector element which comprises an absorber element and a nanowire made of a superconducting material in thermally conducting communication with the absorber element, wherein the absorber element and the nanowire are cooled to a temperature in the range of the transition temperature of the nanowire, wherein the radiation is absorbed by means of the absorber element and wherein it is continuously determined whether the nanowire is in a superconducting state or not, characterized in that energy pulses are continuously supplied to the absorber element by means of a heating means, as long as the nanowire is in the superconducting state and the power which is hereby supplied to the absorber element is determined.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.