High sensitivity characterization of an ultrahigh purity NaI(Tl) crystal scintillator with the SABRE proof-of-principle detector

We present new results on the radiopurity of a 3.4-kg NaI(Tl) crystal scintillator operated in the SABRE proof-of-principle detector setup. The amount of potassium contamination, determined by the direct counting of radioactive 40 K , is found to be 2.2±1.5  ppb, lowest ever achieved for NaI(Tl) crystals. With the active veto, the average background rate in the crystal in the 1–6 keV energy region of interest (ROI) is 1.20±0.05  counts/day/kg/keV, which is a breakthrough since the DAMA/L...

Parametrization of high light yield, energy resolution, and optical cross-talk in SiPM-based liquid argon detectors

Liquefied noble gases are widely used as detector media in various physics experiments owing to their high scintillation efficiency and ease of scalability to large volumes. Now-a-days, these experiments are gradually shifting to SiPM-based readouts because of their high photon detection efficiency, superior resolution, and relative ease of use. However, SiPMs emit photons during the avalanche process, known as optical cross-talk, which can significantly affect the measured signal. In this wo...

SiPM cross-talk in liquid argon detectors

SiPM-based readouts are becoming the standard for light detection in particle detectors given their superior resolution and ease of use with respect to vacuum tube photo-multipliers. However, the contributions of noise detection such as the dark rate, cross-talk, and after-pulsing (AP) may significantly impact their performance. In this work, we present the development of highly reflective single-phase argon chambers capable of displaying light yields up to 32 photo-electrons per keV, with ap...

Detecting fundamental fields with LISA observations of gravitational waves from extreme mass-ratio inspirals