Experimental setup to measure thermal waves generated by X-ray absorption using pyroelectric sensor

Pyroelectric detectors are widely used for infrared radiation detection, whereas these can also be used in the X-ray region. They have multiple advantages when used at synchrotron radiation sources, such as (a) can be used with a white beam (high flux), (b) have a flat spectral response, and (c) can be used both as a detector and as a sample. However, when used in the hard X-ray region, absorption in the detector plays an important role depending upon the thickness of the detector. Hence, the estimation of the responsivity of the detector is important. In this paper, we report an improved experimental setup for the measurement of a pyroelectric signal in the hard X-ray region. The responsivity (V/W) of a pyroelectric detector for absorbed radiation in the hard x-ray region is measured. Measurements of the K-edge x-ray absorption fine structure of 10-μm copper and nickel foils are carried out using a LiTaO₃ pyroelectric detector and compared with the measurements carried out using an ionization chamber as a sensor for the same foils. Absorption spectra near the Ta L_III and L_II edges in LiTaO₃, measured using a LiTaO₃ crystal both as a sample and as a sensor, are also reported in this paper.