Performance of the LBNL FastCCD for the European XFEL

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the performance of the LBNL FastCCD detector, designed for the European XFEL, demonstrating its capabilities in noise, gain, and energy resolution under XFEL conditions.

Contribution

It presents the first performance results and calibration of the FastCCD detector tailored for XFEL.EU's soft X-ray imaging needs.

Findings

Achieved a frame rate of up to 120 fps with the FastCCD.

Quantified noise level, gain, and energy resolution of the detector.

Validated detector performance using XFEL.EU calibration infrastructure.

Abstract

The European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL.EU) is currently being commissioned in Schenefeld, Germany. From 2017 onwards it will provide spatially coherent X-rays of energies between 0.25\,keV and 25\,keV with a unique timing structure. One of the detectors foreseen at XFEL.EU for the soft X-ray regime (energies below 6\,keV) is a quasi column-parallel readout FastCCD developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) specifically for the XFEL.EU requirements. Its sensor has 1920$\times$960 pixels of 30\,$\mu$m $\times$30\,$\mu$m size with a beam hole in the middle of the sensor. The camera can be operated in full frame and frame store mode. With the FastCCD a frame rate of up to 120~fps can be achieved, but at XFEL.EU the camera settings are optimized for the 10\,Hz XFEL bunch-mode. The detector has been delivered to XFEL.EU. Results of the performance tests and calibration done using the XFEL.EU detector calibration infrastructure are presented quantifying noise level, gain and energy resolution.