What is it about?
Traditional X-ray detectors often struggle with "traffic jams" of data when exposed to high-intensity beams, limiting the speed of scientific experiments. Our research introduces a breakthrough sensor called "mxdCMOS." For the first time, we have successfully integrated 30 high-performance X-ray detector elements and their corresponding amplifiers onto a single silicon chip (monolithic integration). This design allows the sensor to process massive amounts of X-ray data at a world-record rate, essentially acting like a high-speed camera for the atomic world.
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Why is it important?
This innovation marks a significant leap in efficiency for facilities like SPring-8. By achieving a count rate of 77 million photons per second per square centimeter—the highest in the world for this type of sensor—we can reduce measurement times from hours to just minutes. This enables "operando" measurements, where scientists can observe chemical reactions or battery charging processes in real-time at the nanometer scale. It paves the way for faster development of new materials, medicines, and cleaner energy technologies.
Perspectives
After a decade of development and fine-tuning at the front lines of the SPring-8 beamlines, this paper represents the culmination of our efforts to meet the real-world needs of researchers. Beyond the record-breaking numbers, our goal was to create a robust, practical tool that solves the "saturation problem" in high-intensity X-ray science. We are excited to see how this technology will empower users across various scientific disciplines starting this April.
Dr. Togo Kudo
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Development of Monolithic Multi-Element Silicon Drift Detectors, IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, January 2026, Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE),
DOI: 10.1109/tns.2026.3667475.
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