Characterization of light production and transport in tellurium dioxide crystals
Abstract
Simultaneous measurement of phonon and light signatures is an effective way to reduce the backgrounds and increase the sensitivity of CUPID, a next-generation bolometric neutrinoless double-beta decay ($$0\nu\beta\beta$$) experiment. Light emission in tellurium dioxide (TeO$$_2$$) crystals, one of the candidate materials for CUPID, is dominated by faint Cherenkov radiation, and the high refractive index of TeO$$_2$$ complicates light collection. Positive identification of $$0\nu\beta\beta$$ events therefore requires high-sensitivity light detectors and careful optimization of light transport. A detailed microphysical understanding of the optical properties of TeO$$_2$$ crystals is essential for such optimization. We present a set of quantitative measurements of light production and transport in a cubic TeO$$_2$$ crystal, verified with a complete optical model and calibrated against a UVT acrylic standard. We measure the optical surface properties of the crystal, and set stringent limits on the amount of room-temperature scintillation in TeO$$_2$$ for $$\beta$$ and $$\alpha$$ particles of 5.3 and 8 photons / MeV, respectively, at 90% confidence. Finally, the techniques described here can be used to optimize and verify the particle identification capabilities of CUPID.
- Authors:
-
- Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1603532
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231; FG02-00ER41138; SC0018987
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Instrumentation
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 14; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 1748-0221
- Publisher:
- Institute of Physics (IOP)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; particle identification methods; Cherenkov and transition radiation; scintillators; scintillation and light emission processes; double-beta decay detectors
Citation Formats
Huang, R. G., Benato, G., Caravaca, J., Kolomensky, Yu. G., Land, B. J., Gann, G. D. Orebi, and Schmidt, B. Characterization of light production and transport in tellurium dioxide crystals. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web. doi:10.1088/1748-0221/14/10/P10032.
Huang, R. G., Benato, G., Caravaca, J., Kolomensky, Yu. G., Land, B. J., Gann, G. D. Orebi, & Schmidt, B. Characterization of light production and transport in tellurium dioxide crystals. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/14/10/P10032
Huang, R. G., Benato, G., Caravaca, J., Kolomensky, Yu. G., Land, B. J., Gann, G. D. Orebi, and Schmidt, B. Wed .
"Characterization of light production and transport in tellurium dioxide crystals". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/14/10/P10032. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1603532.
@article{osti_1603532,
title = {Characterization of light production and transport in tellurium dioxide crystals},
author = {Huang, R. G. and Benato, G. and Caravaca, J. and Kolomensky, Yu. G. and Land, B. J. and Gann, G. D. Orebi and Schmidt, B.},
abstractNote = {Simultaneous measurement of phonon and light signatures is an effective way to reduce the backgrounds and increase the sensitivity of CUPID, a next-generation bolometric neutrinoless double-beta decay ($0\nu\beta\beta$) experiment. Light emission in tellurium dioxide (TeO$_2$) crystals, one of the candidate materials for CUPID, is dominated by faint Cherenkov radiation, and the high refractive index of TeO$_2$ complicates light collection. Positive identification of $0\nu\beta\beta$ events therefore requires high-sensitivity light detectors and careful optimization of light transport. A detailed microphysical understanding of the optical properties of TeO$_2$ crystals is essential for such optimization. We present a set of quantitative measurements of light production and transport in a cubic TeO$_2$ crystal, verified with a complete optical model and calibrated against a UVT acrylic standard. We measure the optical surface properties of the crystal, and set stringent limits on the amount of room-temperature scintillation in TeO$_2$ for $\beta$ and $\alpha$ particles of 5.3 and 8 photons / MeV, respectively, at 90% confidence. Finally, the techniques described here can be used to optimize and verify the particle identification capabilities of CUPID.},
doi = {10.1088/1748-0221/14/10/P10032},
journal = {Journal of Instrumentation},
number = 10,
volume = 14,
place = {United States},
year = {2019},
month = {10}
}
Web of Science
Figures / Tables:

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