Performance of VUV-sensitive MPPC for Liquid Argon Scintillation Light

Abstract

A new type of the Multi-Pixel Photon Counter (MPPC), sensitive to Vacuum Ultra-Violet (VUV) light (wavelength λ < 150 nm), is recently developed and produced by Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. The basic properties of the new MPPC are measured at cryogenic facility of Waseda university using liquid nitrogen. Temperature dependence of breakdown voltage, capacitance, and dark count rate of the MPPC are also evaluated. In addition, the absolute photon detection efficiency (PDE) for liquid argon (LAr) scintillation light (λ = 128 nm) is estimated to be about 7% with uncertainty of 2% by using 241 Am α-ray source. Based on these basic measurements a possible application of the new MPPC to LAr detector for dark matter search is discussed.

8 pages, 6 figures

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Sensitivity projections for a dual-phase argon TPC optimized for light dark matter searches through the ionization channel
• SiPM-matrix readout of two-phase argon detectors using electroluminescence in the visible and near infrared range
• Large-Area MPPC with Enhanced VUV Sensitivity for Liquid Xenon Scintillation Detector
• Tetraphenyl Butadiene Emanation and Bulk Fluorescence from Wavelength Shifting Coatings in Liquid Argon
• Performance of Hamamatsu VUV4 SiPMs for detecting liquid argon scintillation
• First operation of undoped CsI directly coupled with SiPMs at 77 Kelvin
• Test of SensL SiPM coated with NOL-1 wavelength shifter in liquid xenon
• Development of a high-light-yield liquid argon detector using tetraphenyl butadiene and silicon photomultiplier array