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arXiv · 2302.13944

Enhanced light signal for the suppression of pile-up events in Mo-based bolometers for the $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay search

A. Ahmine·A. Armatol·I. Bandac·L. Bergé·J. M. Calvo-Mozota·P. Carniti·M. Chapellier·T. Dixon·L. Dumoulin·A. Giuliani·Ph. Gras·F. Ferri·L. Imbert·H. Khalife·P. Loaiza·P. de Marcillac·S. Marnieros·C. A. Marrache-Kikuchi·C. Nones·E. Olivieri·A. Ortiz de Solòrzano·G. Pessina·D. V. Poda·Th. Redon·J. A. Scarpaci·M. Velàzquez·A. Zolotorova
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Abstract

Random coincidences of events could be one of the main sources of background in the search for neutrino-less double-beta decay of $^{100}$Mo with macro-bolometers, due to their modest time resolution. Scintillating bolometers as those based on Li$_2$MoO$_4$ crystals and employed in the CROSS and CUPID experiments can eventually exploit the coincident fast signal detected in a light detector to reduce this background. However, the scintillation provides a modest signal-to-noise ratio, making difficult a pile-up pulse-shape recognition and rejection at timescales shorter than a few ms. Neganov-Trofimov-Luke assisted light detectors (NTL-LDs) offer the possibility to effectively increase the signal-to-noise ratio, preserving a fast time-response, and enhance the capability of pile-up rejection via pulse shape analysis. In this article we present: a) an experimental work performed with a Li$_2$MoO$_4$ scintillating bolometer, studied in the framework of the CROSS experiment, and utilizing a NTL-LD; b) a simulation method to reproduce, synthetically, randomly coincident two-neutrino double-beta decay events; c) a new analysis method based on a pulse-shape discrimination algorithm capable of providing high pile-up rejection efficiencies. We finally show how the NTL-LDs offer a balanced solution between performance and complexity to reach background index $\sim$$10^{-4}$ counts/keV/kg/year with 280~g Li$_2$MoO$_4$ ($^{100}$Mo enriched) bolometers at 3034 keV, the Q-value of the double-beta decay, and target the goal of a next generation experiment like CUPID.

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A. Ahmine, A. Armatol, I. Bandac, L. Bergé, J. M. Calvo-Mozota, P. Carniti, M. Chapellier, T. Dixon, L. Dumoulin, A. Giuliani, Ph. Gras, F. Ferri, L. Imbert, H. Khalife, P. Loaiza, P. de Marcillac, S. Marnieros, C. A. Marrache-Kikuchi, C. Nones, E. Olivieri, A. Ortiz de Solòrzano, G. Pessina, D. V. Poda, Th. Redon, J. A. Scarpaci, M. Velàzquez, A. Zolotorova. 2023-02-27. Enhanced light signal for the suppression of pile-up events in Mo-based bolometers for the $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay search. https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-023-11519-6

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