Search for Double-Beta Decay of $\mathrm{^{130}Te}$ to the $0^+$ States of $\mathrm{^{130}Xe}$ with CUORE

TL;DR

This paper reports the latest experimental limits on double-beta decay of $^{130}$Te to excited states of $^{130}$Xe using the CUORE detector, setting new most stringent bounds and improving previous results.

Contribution

First search for double-beta decay of $^{130}$Te to excited states with CUORE, providing the most stringent limits to date and demonstrating the detector's capability for such rare decay searches.

Findings

No significant evidence for decay modes was observed.

Set lower bounds on half-lives: >5.9×10^{24} yr for 0νββ and >1.3×10^{24} yr for 2νββ.

Improved previous limits by a factor of approximately 5.

Abstract

The CUORE experiment is a large bolometric array searching for the lepton number violating neutrino-less double beta decay ($0\nu\beta\beta$) in the isotope $\mathrm{^{130}Te}$. In this work we present the latest results on two searches for the double beta decay (DBD) of $\mathrm{^{130}Te}$ to the first $0^{+}_2$ excited state of $\mathrm{^{130}Xe}$: the $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay and the Standard Model-allowed two-neutrinos double beta decay ($2\nu\beta\beta$). Both searches are based on a 372.5 kg$\times$yr TeO$_2$ exposure. The de-excitation gamma rays emitted by the excited Xe nucleus in the final state yield a unique signature, which can be searched for with low background by studying coincident events in two or more bolometers. The closely packed arrangement of the CUORE crystals constitutes a significant advantage in this regard. The median limit setting sensitivities at 90\% Credible Interval (C.I.) of the given searches were estimated as $\mathrm{S^{0\nu}_{1/2} = 5.6 \times 10^{24} \: \mathrm{yr}}$ for the ${0\nu\beta\beta}$ decay and $\mathrm{S^{2\nu}_{1/2} = 2.1 \times 10^{24} \: \mathrm{yr}}$ for the ${2\nu\beta\beta}$ decay. No significant evidence for either of the decay modes was observed and a Bayesian lower bound at $90\%$ C.I. on the decay half lives is obtained as: $\mathrm{(T_{1/2})^{0\nu}_{0^+_2} > 5.9 \times 10^{24} \: \mathrm{yr}}$ for the $0\nu\beta\beta$ mode and $\mathrm{(T_{1/2})^{2\nu}_{0^+_2} > 1.3 \times 10^{24} \: \mathrm{yr}}$ for the $2\nu\beta\beta$ mode. These represent the most stringent limits on the DBD of $^{130}$Te to excited states and improve by a factor $\sim5$ the previous results on this process.