Application of metallic magnetic calorimeter in rare event search. (10th August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kim, I; Jo, H S; Kang, C S; Kim, G B; Kim, H L; Kim, S R; Kim, Y H; Lee, H J; Lee, J H; Lee, M K; Oh, S Y; So, J H
• Is Part Of: Superconductor science & technology. Volume 30:Number 9(2017:Sep.)
• Publication Date: 2017-08-10
• Subjects: metallic magnetic calorimeter -- SQUID -- low-temperature detector -- scintillating crystal; Superconductivity -- Periodicals; Superconductors -- Periodicals; 537.623
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6668/aa7c73
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0953-2048

Abstract

Abstract: Metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMCs) are highly sensitive temperature sensors that use the paramagnetic nature of erbium in a metallic host and superconducting electronics usually composed of a superconducting niobium coil and a current sensing superconducting quantum interference device. This article discusses the applicability of MMCs in experimental searches for rare events in particle physics. A detector module using two MMCs was built to perform low-temperature measurements of heat and scintillation light generated by particle interaction in a 340 g 40 Ca 100 MoO4 crystal. The energy transfer mechanism, from incident particles to the components of the heat and light sensors, is described through a thermal model. MMCs, with gold films collecting athermal phonons, can be used over wide ranges of operating temperature and crystal volume without a significant change in detector performances. Rare event searches could thus benefit from MMC-based detectors presenting such flexibility as well as excellent energy resolution and particle discrimination power.