CMOS Image Sensors for CEvNS Detection at Nuclear Reactors

Abstract

In this work we present Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) Image Sensors (CIS) for reactor neutrino experiments targeting coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS). We have developed an active-shielding strategy for physical background reduction along with an analytical model describing the impact of intrinsic detector backgrounds from dark current and readout noise at a given frame rate (fps). Assuming a conservative background of 100 DRU, and a feasible CIS-based detector with $\sim$100g of sensitive silicon mass, 1$e^-$ of readout noise, and 200fps, it can detect CEvNS in less than 50 days at 16 meters from a 3.6 GW thermal reactor core. Improving the detector performance to 0.2$e^-$ readout noise and 1000fps substantially reduces the detection time to about 7 days. These results establish CIS technology as a promising platform for reactor monitoring and precision neutrino measurements, with thick CMOS sensors featuring parallel and non-destructive readout emerging as particularly attractive candidates for next-generation CEvNS experiments.