Superconducting detectors for energy-dispersive spectroscopy

A superconducting detector can measure single photon energy from IR to γ-ray (0.1eV to 100keV). It is able to attain high energy resolving power in all energy fields, which the ordinary semiconductor detector can not attain. The limit of semiconductor detector, principle and many kinds of superconducting detector, a viewpoint of application of it and application examples of superconducting energy-dispersive spectroscopy are stated. Some performances of six superconducting detectors such as NTD (Calorimeter with neutron transmutation doped Ge thermistor), SPT (calorimeter with superconducting phase transition), STJ (superconducting tunnel junction), NIS (normal-insulator-superconductor tunnel junction), TES (calorimeter with transition edge sensor operated in electro thermal feedback mode) and MMC (metallic magnetic calorimeter) are described. As an application example, a stainless steel (NIST 1297 standard sample) was measured by beam line of KEK PF-BL 13B. Comparison superconducting detector with silicon drift detector was shown. (S.Y.)