Cerenkov light identification with Si low-temperature detectors with Neganov-Luke effect-enhanced sensitivity

Abstract

A new generation of cryogenic light detectors exploiting Neganov-Luke effect to enhance the thermal signal has been used to detect the Cherenkov light emitted by the electrons interacting in TeO${}_2$ crystals. With this mechanism a high significance event-by-event discrimination between alpha and beta/gamma interactions at the ${}^{130}$Te neutrino-less double beta decay Q-value - (2527.515 $\pm$ 0.013) keV - has been demonstrated. This measurement opens the possibility of drastically reducing the background in cryogenic experiments based on TeO${}_2$.