X-Ray Detectors on the Horizon
Sol M. Gruner
Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) and Physics Department, Cornell University
The conduct of a synchrotron radiation experiment is very much constrained by the x-ray detectors that are used. The predominant practice in the past has been to develop general purpose x-ray detectors and to apply these to a variety of experiments. X-ray detectors with CMOS electronics integrated into each pixel are becoming increasingly practical. This allows complex, customized information processing functions to be built into the detector. Examples of relevant present and future detector technologies are reviewed. We close with an interactive discussion to address the question: What functions should be built into detectors to facilitate “almost impossible” materials science experiments?
