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Title: Cryogenic scintillation properties of n-type GaAs for the direct detection of MeV/c2 dark matter

Abstract

This paper is the first report of n-type GaAs as a cryogenic scintillation radiation detector for the detection of electron recoils from interacting dark matter (DM) particles in the poorly explored MeV/c2 mass range. Seven GaAs samples from two commercial suppliers and with different silicon and boron concentrations were studied for their low temperature optical and scintillation properties. All samples are n-type even at low temperatures and exhibit emission between silicon donors and boron acceptors that peaks at 1.33 eV (930 nm). The lowest excitation band peaks at 1.44 eV (860 nm), and the overlap between the emission and excitation bands is small. The X-ray excited luminosities range from 7 to 43 photons/keV. Thermally stimulated luminescence measurements show that n-type GaAs does not accumulate metastable radiative states that could cause afterglow. Further development and use with cryogenic photodetectors promises a remarkable combination of large target size, ultra-low backgrounds, and a sensitivity to electron recoils of a few eV that would be produced by DM particles as light as a few MeV/c2.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [2]
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  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Cranfield Univ. (United Kingdom)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1530346
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1427316
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 123; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats

Derenzo, S., Bourret, E., Hanrahan, S., and Bizarri, G. Cryogenic scintillation properties of n-type GaAs for the direct detection of MeV/c2 dark matter. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1063/1.5018343.
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Derenzo, S., Bourret, E., Hanrahan, S., & Bizarri, G. Cryogenic scintillation properties of n-type GaAs for the direct detection of MeV/c2 dark matter. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5018343
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Derenzo, S., Bourret, E., Hanrahan, S., and Bizarri, G. Wed . "Cryogenic scintillation properties of n-type GaAs for the direct detection of MeV/c2 dark matter". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5018343. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1530346.
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@article{osti_1530346,
title = {Cryogenic scintillation properties of n-type GaAs for the direct detection of MeV/c2 dark matter},
author = {Derenzo, S. and Bourret, E. and Hanrahan, S. and Bizarri, G.},
abstractNote = {This paper is the first report of n-type GaAs as a cryogenic scintillation radiation detector for the detection of electron recoils from interacting dark matter (DM) particles in the poorly explored MeV/c2 mass range. Seven GaAs samples from two commercial suppliers and with different silicon and boron concentrations were studied for their low temperature optical and scintillation properties. All samples are n-type even at low temperatures and exhibit emission between silicon donors and boron acceptors that peaks at 1.33 eV (930 nm). The lowest excitation band peaks at 1.44 eV (860 nm), and the overlap between the emission and excitation bands is small. The X-ray excited luminosities range from 7 to 43 photons/keV. Thermally stimulated luminescence measurements show that n-type GaAs does not accumulate metastable radiative states that could cause afterglow. Further development and use with cryogenic photodetectors promises a remarkable combination of large target size, ultra-low backgrounds, and a sensitivity to electron recoils of a few eV that would be produced by DM particles as light as a few MeV/c2.},
doi = {10.1063/1.5018343},
journal = {Journal of Applied Physics},
number = 11,
volume = 123,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Mar 21 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Wed Mar 21 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5018343
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Figure 1 Figure 1: Experimental setup for the measurements reported in this paper.
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Low temperature scintillation properties of Ga 2 O 3
    journal, August 2019

    • Mykhaylyk, V. B.; Kraus, H.; Kapustianyk, V.
    • Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 115, Issue 8
    • DOI: 10.1063/1.5119130

    Comparative scintillation performance of EJ-309, EJ-276, and a novel organic glass
    journal, November 2020

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