High Energy Particle Detection with Large Area Superconducting Microwire Array

TL;DR

This paper reports the first detailed study of a superconducting microwire array detector's efficiency and timing resolution for high-energy particles, demonstrating its potential for future particle physics experiments.

Contribution

It introduces the first measurements of detection efficiency and timing resolution of a superconducting microwire array for protons, electrons, and pions at high energies.

Findings

Detection efficiency was consistent across pixels and bias currents.

Achieved a time resolution of 1.15 ns for various particles.

First demonstration of such detectors for high-energy particle detection.

Abstract

We present the first detailed study of an 8-channel $2\times2$ mm$^{2}$ WSi superconducting microwire single photon detector (SMSPD) array exposed to 120 GeV proton beam and 8 GeV electron and pion beam at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility. The SMSPD detection efficiency was measured for the first time for protons, electrons, and pions, enabled by the use of a silicon tracking telescope that provided precise spatial resolution of 30 $\mu$m for 120 GeV protons and 130 $\mu$m for 8 GeV electrons and pions. The result demonstrated consistent detection efficiency across pixels and at different bias currents. Time resolution of 1.15 ns was measured for the first time for SMSPD with proton, electron, and pions, enabled by the use of an MCP-PMT which provided a ps-level reference time stamp. The results presented is the first step towards developing SMSPD array systems optimized for high energy particle detection and identification for future accelerator-based experiments.