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arXiv · 2004.10709

Ionization Yield in Silicon for eV-Scale Electron-Recoil Processes

Karthik Ramanathan·Noah Kurinsky
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Abstract

The development of single charge resolving, macroscopic silicon detectors has opened a window into rare processes at the O(eV) scale. In order to reconstruct the energy of a given event, or model the charge signal obtained for a given amount of energy absorbed by the electrons in a detector, an accurate charge yield model is needed. In this paper we review existing measurements of charge yield in Silicon, focusing in particular on the region below 1 keV. We highlight a calibration gap between 12-50 eV (referred to as the "UV-gap") and employ a phenomenological model of impact ionization to explore the likely charge yield in this energy regime. Finally, we explore the impact of variations in this model on a test case, that of dark matter scattering off electrons, to illustrate the scientific impact of uncertainties in charge yield.

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Karthik Ramanathan, Noah Kurinsky. 2020-04-22. Ionization Yield in Silicon for eV-Scale Electron-Recoil Processes. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.102.063026

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