Limits of the abilities for feeble light detection of the semiconductor photosensors used in elementary particle experiments

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23540338
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Particle/Nuclear/Cosmic ray/Astro physics
• Research Institution: University of Fukui
• Principal Investigator: Yoshida Takuo 福井大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (30220651)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 素粒子実験 / 半導体受光素子 / APD / MPPC / シンチレーション光 / チェレンコフ光

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Some of particle detectors used in elementary particle experiments detect particles by sensing feeble light such as scintillation light generated by charged particles passing through matter. We carried out the experiments to evaluate the abilities for feeble light detection of some semiconductor photosensors including avalanche photodiodes and multi-pixel photon counters(MPPCs) selected as photosensor candidates for the partilce detectors. As a result, we found that the MPPC was the most sensitive. In particular, the MPPC cooled down to -40 degrees centigrade could detect with almost 100% efficiency the quite feeble light pulse which contained only 7 photons. The photomultiplier tubes, which have usually been used in particle detectors, can never achieve such high detection efficiency for such a feeble light pulse.

Free Research Field

高エネルギー物理学