New 1mm thick Silicon Drift Detectors for future researches of Kaonic Atoms and the Pauli Exclusion principle

TL;DR

This paper introduces new 1mm-thick Silicon Drift Detectors designed to improve X-ray spectroscopy for kaonic atom research and tests of the Pauli Exclusion Principle, enabling more sensitive measurements in future experiments.

Contribution

Development of high-efficiency, high-resolution 1mm-thick Silicon Drift Detectors for advanced kaonic atom studies and PEP violation tests in heavier elements.

Findings

Enhanced quantum efficiency at 30 keV by a factor of two

Maintained excellent energy resolution with increased thickness

Preliminary detection demonstrated up to 30 keV

Abstract

Kaonic atoms, formed when a negatively charged kaon replaces an electron, provide a sensitive probe of the low-energy strong interaction via precision X-ray spectroscopy. The SIDDHARTA-2 experiment at the DA$\Phi$NE collider employs high-performance Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) optimized for the 4-12 keV range to study light kaonic systems. In preparation for the EXKALIBUR phase, which targets heavier kaonic atoms, new 1 mm-thick SDDs have been developed with Politecnico di Milano and Fondazione Bruno Kessler. Their increased thickness enhances the quantum efficiency by a factor of about two at 30 keV while preserving excellent energy resolution. These detectors are also intended for VIP-3, the next-generation test of the Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP). Building on VIP-2, which set the most stringent limits on PEP-violating $K_{\alpha}$ transitions in copper, VIP-3 will extend the search to heavier elements such as Ag, Sn, and Zr. Preliminary measurements demonstrate efficient detection up to 30 keV, supporting future high-precision studies of the kaon-nucleon interaction and PEP in heavier systems.