Cherenkov and scintillation light separation in BGO and BSO crystals coupled to SiPMs for dual-readout electromagnetic calorimetry at future colliders

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the first successful separation of Cherenkov and scintillation light in BGO and BSO crystals using SiPMs, enabling dual-readout calorimetry for future collider detectors.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method combining optical filtering and waveform fitting to distinguish light components in BGO and BSO crystals with SiPMs.

Findings

Cherenkov yields of up to ~150 photoelectrons per GeV in electromagnetic showers.

First demonstration of Cherenkov-scintillation separation in BGO and BSO with SiPM readout.

Supports dual-readout calorimetry for future e+e- Higgs factory detectors.

Abstract

We report on the separation of Cherenkov and scintillation light in BGO and BSO crystals read out with silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). The two light components are disentangled on an event-by-event basis by combining optical filtering with waveform template fitting, exploiting their distinct spectral and temporal characteristics. Measurements were carried out using high-energy muon and positron beams at the CERN SPS North Area, demonstrating Cherenkov yields of up to $\sim$150 ph.e./GeV in electromagnetic showers. This work provides the first demonstration of Cherenkov-scintillation separation in BGO and BSO crystals with SiPM readout, supporting the use of this technology as a building block for a dual-readout electromagnetic calorimeter, as foreseen in the IDEA detector concept for a future $e^+e^-$ Higgs factory.