Ultra-Fast, High Resolution X-ray Detectors from X-Spectrum

Rayonix is proud to distribute X-Spectrum products in the Americas. X-Spectrum was founded in Hamburg, Germany in 2014 as a spinoff of the world-leading research center DESY. They provide state-of-the-art pixelated detector technologies used in scientific research and manufacturing. Two of their major product lines are the LAMBDA ultra-fast counting detector systems, with high resolution 55μm pixel size and available in various arrays and sensor materials, and also the SPARTA revolutionary integrating detector system which provides up to 6 megahertz framing rates. Please contact us for additional information on X-Spectrum products for your facility and application. 

LAMBDA: State-of-the-Art Pixelated X-ray Detector with Medipix3 Technology

LAMBDA Series Overview

The LAMBDA is based on the CERN-developed Medipix3 ASIC, which enables noise-free and dead-time-free X-ray measurements at up to 24,000 frames per second. The cameras offer an industry-leading resolution of 55μm, and by employing 24-bit counters, images can be acquired with extended dynamic range. “Color imaging” capability can be achieved by setting the two thresholds to trigger at different X-ray energies. 

Ideal for applications including Diffraction, Tomography, Imaging, and Scattering. 

LAMBDA Technical Specifications

PIXEL SIZE 55 µm x 55 µm
NOISE Photon counting – noise free at 5 keV
COUNT RATE (UNCORRECTED) 8 x 107 cts/mm²/s at 10% deviation from linear
COUNT RATE (CORRECTED) up to 2.5 x 108 cts/mm²/s
EXTERNAL TRIGGER 3.3 V
SOFTWARE INTERFACE SDK for C++ and Python, third party Tango and EPICS drivers available
IMAGE DEPTH MAX. FRAME RATE READOUT DEAD TIME
1 bit (1 photon) 24,000 fps 0
6 bit (63 photons) 4,000 fps 0
12 bit (4095 photons) 2,000 fps 0
24 bit (16,777,215 photons) 1,000 fps 1 ms

Lambda Detector Sizes

We offer a range of detector sizes, ranging from 256×256 pixels, up to 10 megapixels. The systems are designed to be compact and lightweight – for example, the LAMBDA 750k weighs only about 2 kg. For the standard LAMBDA systems, X-Spectrum designed even the largest area systems with highly parallelized readout, able to achieve the same high framing rates as the smaller systems. In-vacuum detector options are also available. 

SYSTEM DETECTOR PIXELS SENSOR AREA WEIGHT
LAMBDA 60k 256 x 256 14 x 14 mm² 1.25 kg
LAMBDA 250k 512 x 512 28 x 28 mm² 1.25 kg
LAMBDA 350k 512 x 768 28 x 42 mm² 2.3 kg
LAMBDA 750k 512 x 1536 28 x 85 mm² 2.3 kg
LAMBDA 2M 1536 x 1536 85 x 85 mm² 8 kg
LAMBDA 7.5M 3072 x 2560 170 x 170 mm² 21 kg
LAMBDA 10M 4608 x 2560 260 x 175 mm² 25 kg
LAMBDA-Flex 256 x 256 per sensor 14 x 14 mm² per sensor 1.25 kg readout board, 0.1 kg module head

Choice of Sensor Materials

LAMBDA sensors are offered in four material configurations–Silicon with either 300μm or 500μm thickness, or for higher energy X-ray detection, either Gallium Arsenide (500μm), or Cadmium Telluride (1000μm).

LAMBDA Flex: Flexible sensor placement

With up to four small, lightweight detector heads, LAMBDA flex is ideally suited for applications where space is at a premium, such as RIXS or powder diffraction. The sensors are connected back to the controller with flexible cables and can be freely positioned. Has the same excellent capabilities as standard LAMBDA.

LAMBDA Custom Solutions

These detectors have a modular design and new, customer-specified geometries can be designed and arranged to suit your application.

SPARTA: The High Speed AGIPD-Based Detector

SPARTA Series Overview

SPARTA is the laboratory-size implementation of an AGIPD-based camera. The Adaptive Gain Integrating Pixel Detector (AGIPD) is an X-ray imager, originally designed for the European XFEL, the world’s most powerful free electron laser. It can take images at rates exceeding 6 million frames per second*, in bursts of up to 352 images, 10 times per second. SPARTA can also capture up to 1000 images per second with a uniform repetition rate. By using a novel adaptive gain amplifier design, it combines an equivalent noise of just 1.3 keV when detecting single photons with a dynamic range of more than 104 photons of 12 keV. With a weight of only 3.5 kilograms it is a compact yet extremely powerful high-speed X-ray camera for your setup in the 3–15 keV range.

*rates above 6 Mfps require special operating modes that may have reduced performance.

SPARTA Technical Specifications

PIXEL SIZE 200 µm x 200 µm
SENSOR MATERIAL 500 µm thick Silicon, high-Z version in development
SENSOR SIZE 128 x 512 pixels 25.6 mm x 105.2 mm sensitive area
MAXIMUM FRAME RATE ≥ 6 MHz* in a burst of 352 images
AVERAGE FRAME RATE 3520 images per second (burst mode), 1000 images per second (cw mode)
DYNAMIC RANGE 0 to 10⁴ photons at 12 keV per pixel per frame
EQUIVALENT COUNT RATE
>1010 cts/pix/s (>2.5 × 1011 cts/mm²/s)
NOISE
∼ 1.3 keV (0.9 keV at reduced dynamic range)
EXTERNAL TRIGGER 3.3 V