Performance of Hamamatsu VUV4 SiPMs for detecting liquid argon scintillation

Abstract

Detection of light signals is crucial to a wide range of particle detectors. In particular, efficient detection of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light will provide new opportunities for some novel detectors currently being developed, but is technically challenging. In this article, we characterized the performance of Hamamatsu VUV4 silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) for detecting VUV argon scintillation light without wavelength shifting. Using a customized cryogenic amplifier design, we operated two models of VUV4 SiPMs inside liquid argon and thoroughly examined their direct sensitivities to liquid argon scintillation. In addition to describing their cryogenic performance, we measured a photon detection efficiency of $14.7_{-2.4}^{+1.1}$% and $17.2_{-3.0}^{+1.6}$% at 128 nm for these two VUV4 models for operation at 4 V of overvoltage, with the main uncertainty arising from the SiPM reflectivity for VUV light.

21 pages, 11 figures, accepted by JINST. Minor typos corrected in paper. Phrasing modifications made in discussion of afterpulsing results. Comparison of amplifier gain to reference design added. LLNL IM number appended

References in corpus (10)

• First results on ProtoDUNE-SP liquid argon time projection chamber performance from a beam test at the CERN Neutrino Platform
• TAO Conceptual Design Report: A Precision Measurement of the Reactor Antineutrino Spectrum with Sub-percent Energy Resolution
• Characterization of the Hamamatsu VUV4 MPPCs for nEXO
• Wavelength shifters for applications in liquid argon detectors
• SANDD: A directional antineutrino detector with segmented 6Li-doped pulse-shape-sensitive plastic scintillator
• Characterization of VUV4 SiPM for Liquid Argon Detector
• Reflectivity and PDE of VUV4 Hamamatsu SiPMs in Liquid Xenon
• SiPM cross-talk in liquid argon detectors
• Spectroscopic analysis of the argon scintillation with a wavelength sensitive particle detector
• A low noise and low power cryogenic amplifier for single photoelectron sensitivity with large arrays of SiPMs

Cited by in corpus (12)

• Sensitivity projections for a dual-phase argon TPC optimized for light dark matter searches through the ionization channel
• The science and technology of liquid argon detectors
• Development of a novel, windowless, amorphous selenium based photodetector for use in liquid noble detectors
• Measurement of the Photon Detection Efficiency of Hamamatsu VUV4 SiPMs at Cryogenic Temperature
• Detection efficiency measurement and operational tests of the X-Arapuca for the first module of DUNE Far Detector
• Why would you put a flashlight in a dark matter detector?
• Characterization of Silicon Photomultiplier Photon Detection Efficiency at Liquid Nitrogen Temperature
• Cryogenic setup for the characterization of wavelength-shifting materials for noble element radiation detectors
• Impact of extreme ultraviolet radiation on the scintillation of pure and xenon-doped liquid argon
• Supernova electron-neutrino interactions with xenon in the nEXO detector
• Demonstrating a broadband Photon Detection Efficiency model on VUV sensitive Silicon Photomultipliers
• Measuring dark currents in multiple cryogenic SiPMs with sub-pA sensitivity using an automated IV multiplexer