Performance of silicon drift detectors in a magnetic field

A study of the properties of silicon drift detectors in a magnetic field was carried out. A silicon drift detector with 41 anodes, providing unambiguous x and y position information, was used for measurements. Studies were done in three principal orientations of the detector relative to the direction of the magnetic field. The magnetic field was varied between 0 and 0.7 T and the drift field between 300 and 600 V/cm. agreement with the theory of electron transport in semiconductors in a magnetic field was found. The transport properties of electrons in a magnetic field can be described by a mobility matrix. The components of the matrix depend on the electron mobility, Hall mobility and on the vector of the magnetic field. The precision of measurement was better than 0.2% for most of the parameters. e electric field of a silicon drift detector, there is a first-order effect of the magnetic field only in one out of three principal directions. In this direction, the plane of the detector is perpendicular to the magnetic field and electrons drift at an angle α relative to the direction of the drift field. In two other principal directions, which are more important for tracking of the particles with drift detectors, there are no first-order magnetic effects.