Cryogenic detectors and their application to mass spectrometry

Cryogenic detectors are detectors based upon detection mechanisms which require low temperatures in the sub-kelvin range, such as superconductivity. This article introduces the two main representatives of cryogenic detectors, superconducting tunnel junctions and low-temperature calorimeters with superconducting thermometers. The operating principles, signal generation and noise sources are discussed in each case. These detectors are already applied to experiments in particle-astrophysics and in optical astronomy. They are considered as the next generation instrumentation in certain areas of astrophysics, material analysis and high-resolution spectroscopy. Since 1996, they are also considered for applications in time-of-flight spectrometry of heavy bio-molecules. Successful applications of both detectors types in this area are briefly reviewed. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved