Synthetic diamond-based position-sensitive photoconductive detector development for the Advanced Photon Source.

A novel X-ray beam-position detection device that we call a position-sensitive photoconductive detector (PSPCD) is designed to have synthetic diamond as its substrate material. We proved that it is feasible to use synthetic diamond to make a hard X-ray position-sensitive detector based on the photoconductivity principle and that it acts as a solid-state ion chamber. Experiments on different PSPCD samples using synthetic diamond with a high-heat-flux white undulator beam, as well as with monochromatic hard X-ray beams, have been performed at the Advanced Photon Source. Recent test results with the PSPCD in the quadrant configuration as an X-ray beam-position monitor and in a multipixel array as an X-ray beam profiler are presented in this paper.