Cerenkov light identification with Si low-temperature detectors with Neganov-Luke effect-enhanced sensitivity

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel cryogenic detector using Neganov-Luke effect-enhanced Si sensors to identify Cherenkov light, enabling effective discrimination of alpha and beta/gamma events in TeO2 crystals for neutrino-less double beta decay experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a new cryogenic light detection method with enhanced sensitivity using Neganov-Luke effect, improving particle discrimination capabilities.

Findings

Successful event-by-event discrimination between alpha and beta/gamma interactions.

Enhanced sensitivity of Si detectors at low temperatures.

Potential for significant background reduction in TeO2-based experiments.

Abstract

A new generation of cryogenic light detectors exploiting Neganov-Luke effect to enhance the thermal signal has been used to detect the Cherenkov light emitted by the electrons interacting in TeO$_{2}$ crystals. With this mechanism a high significance event-by-event discrimination between alpha and beta/gamma interactions at the $^{130}$Te neutrino-less double beta decay Q-value - (2527.515 $\pm$ 0.013) keV - has been demonstrated. This measurement opens the possibility of drastically reducing the background in cryogenic experiments based on TeO$_{2}$.