arXiv subjects

Marco Carminati

Publications and source records attributed to Marco Carminati.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Characterization of a Silicon Drift Detector for High-Resolution Electron Spectroscopy

Silicon Drift Detectors, widely employed in high-resolution and high-rate X-ray applications, are considered here with interest also for electron detection. The accurate measurement of the tritium beta decay is the core of the TRISTAN (TRitium Investigation on STerile to Active Neutrino mixing) project. This work presents the characterization of a single-pixel SDD detector with a mono-energetic electron beam obtained from a Scanning Electron Microscope. The suitability of the SDD to detect electrons, in the energy range spanning from few keV to tens of keV, is demonstrated. Experimental measurements reveal a strong effect of the detector's entrance window structure on the observed energy response. A detailed detector model is therefore necessary to reconstruct the spectrum of an unknown beta-decay source.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2020

Hunting keV sterile neutrinos with KATRIN: building the first TRISTAN module

The KATRIN (Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino) experiment investigates the energetic endpoint of the tritium beta-decay spectrum to determine the effective mass of the electron anti-neutrino. The collaboration has reported a first mass measurement result at this TAUP-2019 conference. The TRISTAN project aims at detecting a keV-sterile neutrino signature by measuring the entire tritium beta-decay spectrum with an upgraded KATRIN system. One of the greatest challenges is to handle the high signal rates generated by the strong activity of the KATRIN tritium source while maintaining a good energy resolution. Therefore, a novel multi-pixel silicon drift detector and read-out system are being designed to handle rates of about 100 Mcps with an energy resolution better than 300 eV (FWHM). This report presents succinctly the KATRIN experiment, the TRISTAN project, then the results of the first 7-pixels prototype measurement campaign and finally describes the construction of the first TRISTAN module composed of 166 SDD-pixels as well as its implementation in KATRIN experiment.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2020

Electron spectrometry with SDDs: a GEANT4 based method for detector response reconstruction

Electron spectrometry is traditionally challenging due to the difficulty of correctly reconstructing the original energy of the detected electrons. Silicon Drift Detectors, extensively used for X-ray spectrometry, are a promising technology for the precise measurement of electrons energy. The ability to correctly model the detector entrance window response to the energy deposited by electrons is a critical aspect of this application. We hereby describe a MonteCarlo-based approach to this problem, together with characterization and validation measurements performed with electron beams from a Scanning Electron Microscope.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2019

A novel application of solid state detectors for high precision, low systematics measurement of beta decay energy spectra of interest for neutrino and nuclear physics

This project is focused on the development of a novel strategy for the precise measurement of beta decay energy spectra. The exact determination of beta spectra has wide implications in the particle and nuclear physics fields: from sterile neutrino searches \cite{Adhikari 2016} to validation of nuclear models of interest for double beta decay searches \cite{Suhonen 2017}, to reactor neutrino experiments. The experimental strategy is focused on the mitigation of the systematic uncertainty in the determination of the spectral shape related to the energy response of the detector. The plan is to use Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs), exploiting their excellent energy resolution and response uniformity, the thin dead layer and the fast signal that allows high rate operations. A complete modeling of SDDs response to the interaction of beta particles via numerical simulations, validated with dedicated measurements, aims at identifying and canceling the detector-related systematics. Similar attention will be devoted to the integration of beta radioactive sources that preserve the energy information carried by the emitted electrons, and to a veto system with a full solid angle coverage to intercept any escaping particle potentially carrying a fraction of the original electron energy.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2018

A novel detector system for KATRIN to search for keV-scale sterile neutrinos

Sterile neutrinos are a minimal extension of the Standard Model of Particle Physics. If their mass is in the kilo-electron-volt regime, they are viable dark matter candidates. One way to search for sterile neutrinos in a laboratory-based experiment is via tritium-beta decay, where the new neutrino mass eigenstate would manifest itself as a kink-like distortion of the $β$-decay spectrum. The objective of the TRISTAN project is to extend the KATRIN setup with a new multi-pixel silicon drift detector system to search for a keV-scale sterile neutrino signal. In this paper we describe the requirements of such a new detector, and present first characterization measurement results obtained with a 7-pixel prototype system.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2017

All-optical mode unscrambling on a silicon photonic chip

Propagation of light beams through scattering or multimode systems may lead to randomization of the spatial coherence of the light. Although information is not lost, its recovery requires a coherent interferometric reconstruction of the original signals, which have been scrambled into the modes of the scattering system. Here, we show that we can automatically unscramble four optical beams that have been arbitrarily mixed in a multimode waveguide, undoing the scattering and mixing between the spatial modes through a mesh of silicon photonics Mach-Zehnder interferometers. Using embedded transparent detectors and a progressive tuning algorithm, the mesh self-configures automatically and reset itself after significantly perturbing the mixing, without turning off the beams. We demonstrate the recovery of four separate 10 Gbits/s information channels, with residual cross-talk between beams of -20dB. This principle of self-configuring and self-resetting in optical systems should be applicable in a wide range of optical applications.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2014

ContactLess Integrated Photonic Probe for light monitoring in InP-based devices

The increasing complexity of photonic integrated circuits requires the possibility to monitor the state of the circuit in order to stabilize the working point against environmental fluctuations or to perform reliable reconfiguration procedures. Although InP technologies can naturally integrate high-quality photodiodes, their use as tap monitors necessarily affects the circuit response and is restricted to few units per chip. They are hence unsuited for very large circuits, where transparent power monitors become key components. In this paper we present the implementation of a ContactLess Integrated Photonic Probe (CLIPP) realizing a non invasive integrated light monitor on InP-based devices. We describe an innovative vertical scheme of the CLIPP monitor which exploits the back side of the chip as a common electrode, thus enabling a reduction of the device footprint and a simplification of the electrical connectivity. We characterize the response of the CLIPP and demonstrate its functionality as power monitor. Lastly, we provide a direct demonstration that CLIPP monitor allows to access more accurate information on the working point of photonic integrated circuits compared to conventional external or integrated photodetectors.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Non-invasive monitoring and control in silicon photonics by CMOS integrated electronics

As photonics breaks away from today's device level toward large scale of integration and complex systems-on-a-chip, concepts like monitoring, control and stabilization of photonic integrated circuits emerge as new paradigms. Here, we show non-invasive monitoring and feedback control of high quality factor silicon photonics resonators assisted by a transparent light detector directly integrated inside the cavity. Control operations are entirely managed by a CMOS microelectronic circuit, hosting many parallel electronic read-out channels, that is bridged to the silicon photonics chip. Advanced functionalities, such as wavelength tuning, locking, labeling and swapping are demonstrated. The non-invasive nature of the transparent monitor and the scalability of the CMOS read-out system offer a viable solution for the control of arbitrarily reconfigurable photonic integrated circuits aggregating many components on a single chip.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2013

Non-invasive light observer

Photonic technologies lack non-invasive monitoring tools to inspect the light inside optical waveguides. This is one of the main barriers to large scale of integration, even though photonic platforms are potentially ready to host several thousands of elements on a single chip. Here, we demonstrate non-invasive light observation in silicon photonics devices by exploiting photon interaction with intra-gap energy states localized at the waveguide surface. Light intensity is measured through a ContactLess Integrated Photonic Probe (CLIPP) that introduces no measurable extra-photon absorption and a phase perturbation as low as 0.2 mrad, comparable to thermal fluctuations of less than 3 mK. Multipoint light monitoring is demonstrated with a sensitivity of -30 dBm and a dynamic range of 40 dB. CLIPP technology is simple, inherently CMOS compatible, and scalable to hundreds of probing points per chip. This concept provides a viable way to real-time conditioning and feedback control of densely-integrated photonic systems.

physics.optics↗