arXiv subjects

V. A. Chirayath

Publications and source records attributed to V. A. Chirayath.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

DC Cryogenic Modeling of Open-Source SkyWater 130 nm MOSFETs at 77 K Using BSIM4

Cryogenic applications in high-energy physics (HEP) demand reliable, low-power CMOS electronics capable of operating at liquid nitrogen temperatures (77 K). The open-source SkyWater 130 nm (SKY130) CMOS process has previously been shown to operate at temperatures as low as 4 K making it a promising candidate for HEP applications. In this work, we characterize and model SKY130 low-threshold voltage transistors at 77 K, which is a temperature commonly used in modeling applications for liquid argon detectors. DC characteristic measurements were performed at both room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature. We created a cryogenic modeling approach to produce a SPICE-compatible, isothermal BSIM4-based model for select transistor sizes at 77 K. The resulting model agrees with data at 77 K with an average error on the order of 20% (relative RMS) and shows no dependence on drain voltage. Due to the open-source nature of SKY130, we have made our models publicly available on Github. We hope this work will continue the trend for democratizing circuit design at cryogenic temperatures in high-energy physics by enabling open access to accurate CMOS device models at 77 K.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Charge Transport and Multiplication in Lateral Amorphous Selenium Devices Under Cryogenic Conditions

Cryogenic photon sensing for high-energy physics motivates photosensor technologies that combine large-area scalability with internal gain and stable operation at low temperature. Amorphous selenium is a promising photoconductor, yet its field- and temperature-dependent transport and avalanche response in lateral geometries have not been systematically established. This work reports field-resolved photocurrent measurements of lateral a-Se devices from 93 K to 297 K under 401 nm excitation at fields up to 120 V/um. Below avalanche onset, the external quantum efficiency was described by the Onsager model, yielding effective post-thermalization separations that decrease with decreasing temperature. The field-assisted detrapping region was evaluated using several transport models, with the data favoring field-assisted hopping and thermally-assisted tunneling as the mechanisms that best capture the temperature evolution of the photocurrent. The boundaries between field-assisted detrapping, transport-limited conduction, and avalanche shift with temperature; at 93 K the response transitions directly from detrapping into avalanche. Avalanche multiplication was analyzed using the Lucky-drift model. These results provide the first systematic characterization of cryogenic avalanche behavior in lateral a-Se detectors and establish quantitative trends relevant to low-temperature, high-gain photodetector design.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Cryogenic UV detection using stress-engineered zero-bias ZnO-thin film based Piezo-Photonic detector

We demonstrate a zero-bias ultraviolet (UV) detector using zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films as the active semiconductor layer, specifically for application in cryogenic conditions. The zero-bias device utilizes the piezoelectric potential developed through interfacial stress in the active semiconductor layer for charge transport. We explored two vertically stacked metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) configurations: Sample I, a device comprised of chromium (Cr)/ZnO/Cr layers, and Sample II, a ZnO-silicon nitride (Si3N4) device comprised of Cr/Si3N4/ZnO/Cr layers. The Si3N4 layer in Sample II was introduced in the form of pillars, with the aim of increasing the residual stress in the active region. These fabricated devices were tested at both room and cryogenic temperatures to characterize their UV-detection performance in a custom test stand using a 365 nm UV LED source. We observe a higher UV-induced voltage signal for Sample II in comparison to Sample I at both temperature regimes. Grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) measurements showed approximately 40% higher residual stress in Sample II than in Sample I. A higher residual stress suggests a higher induced piezopotential in Sample II, explaining the enhancement in the UV-induced signal. Our results demonstrate that through appropriate in-device stress engineering, UV photoinduced signals can be enhanced, increasing detector sensitivity. A zero-bias photodetector with in-device stress engineering, as demonstrated here, can have applications in extreme environments, like cryogenic liquid noble elements or high radiation space environments, where low or zero-power detection may be required.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Characterization of Lateral Amorphous Selenium Photodetectors for Low-Photon and VUV Detection at Cryogenic Temperatures

The performance of amorphous selenium (a-Se) as a cryogenic photodetector material is evaluated through a series of experiments using laterally structured devices operated in a custom optical test stand. These studies investigate the response of a-Se detectors to low-photon fluxes at high electric fields near avalanche conditions, the linearity of the photoconductive response over a wide dynamic range and the direct detection of narrowband 130 nm vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) illumination. At 87 K, matched-filter analysis shows reliable single-shot detection with efficiencies greater than or equal to 80 percent and area under the curve (AUC) greater than or equal to 0.85 using as few as approximately 6800 incident 401 nm photons, corresponding to approximately 3400 photons within field-active regions after accounting for geometric constraints. Measurements are performed at cryogenic temperatures using calibrated photon fluxes derived from a silicon photomultiplier reference and a characterized optical filter stack. Additional experiments using a tellurium-doped a-Se (a-SeTe) device explore the material's behavior under identical test conditions and demonstrate that avalanche is achievable in a-SeTe at cryogenic temperatures. The results demonstrate reproducible low-noise operation, VUV sensitivity and field-dependent gain behavior in a lateral a-Se architecture, representing the first reported observation of avalanche multiplication in laterally structured a-Se and a-SeTe devices at cryogenic temperatures. These findings support the potential integration of laterally structured a-Se devices into next-generation pixelated liquid-argon time projection chambers (TPCs) requiring scalable, high-field-compatible photon detection systems.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Dynamics of Magnetic Evaporative Beamline Cooling for Preparation of Cold Atomic Beams

The most sensitive direct neutrino mass searches today are based on measurement of the endpoint of the beta spectrum of tritium to infer limits on the mass of the unobserved neutrino. To avoid the smearing associated with the distribution of molecular final states in the T-He molecule, the next generation of these experiments will need to employ atomic (T) rather than molecular (T$_{2}$) tritium sources, at currents of at least 10$^{15}$ atoms per second. Following production, atomic T can be trapped in gravitational and/or magnetic bottles for beta spectrum experiments, if and only if it can first be cooled to millikelvin temperatures. Accomplishing this cooling presents substantial technological challenges. The Project 8 collaboration is developing a technique based on magnetic evaporative cooling along a beamline (MECB) for the purpose of cooling T to feed a magneto-gravitational trap that also serves as a cyclotron radiation emission spectroscope. Initial tests of the approach are planned in a pathfinder apparatus using atomic Li. This paper presents a method for analyzing the dynamics of the MECB technique, and applies these calculations to the design of systems for cooling and slowing of atomic Li and T. A scheme is outlined that could provide a current of T at the millikelvin temperatures required for the Project 8 neutrino mass search.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Opportunities and challenges to study solar neutrinos with a Q-Pix pixel readout

The study of solar neutrinos presents significant opportunities in astrophysics, nuclear physics, and particle physics. However, the low-energy nature of these neutrinos introduces considerable challenges to isolate them from background events, requiring detectors with low-energy threshold, high spatial and energy resolutions, and low data rate. We present the study of solar neutrinos with a kiloton-scale liquid argon detector located underground, instrumented with a pixel readout using the Q-Pix technology. We explore the potential of using volume fiducialization, directional topological information, light signal coincidence and pulse-shape discrimination to enhance solar neutrino sensitivity. We find that discriminating neutrino signals below 5 MeV is very difficult. However, we show that these methods are useful for the detection of solar neutrinos when external backgrounds are sufficiently understood and when the detector is built using low-background techniques. When building a workable background model for this study, we identify γ background from the cavern walls and from capture of α particles in radon decay chains as both critical to solar neutrino sensitivity and significantly underconstrained by existing measurements. Finally, we highlight that the main advantage of the use of Q-Pix for solar neutrino studies lies in its ability to enable the continuous readout of all low-energy events with minimal data rates and manageable storage for further offline analyses.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2025

Temperature Dependent Optical Response Of High- Tc Yba2cu3o7-δ (Ybco) Thin Films

We report on the temperature-dependent optical response of thin films of YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) in the visible spectral range under cryogenic conditions. Specifically, we observe an increase in transmittance near the superconducting transition temperature (Tc), which saturates within a few kelvins below Tc. The increase in transmittance is accompanied by a corresponding decrease in reflectance as the temperature drops below Tc, and both quantities track the superconducting phase transition. Changes in transmittance are found to be wavelength dependent, with the maximum variation occurring at 633 nm and minimal at 450 nm. These observations establish a correlation between the variation in optical response and the superconducting phase transition, even in the visible regime. The results of our experiment highlight the potential for using non-contact optical measurements to determine Tc. The effect can be explained using the two-fluid model, which can account for the observed temperature and wavelength dependence of the transmittance of the superconducting thin films.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Ion Transport on Phased Radiofrequency Carpets in Xenon Gas

We present the design and performance of a four-phased radiofrequency (RF) carpet system for ion transport in high-pressure xenon gas. The RF carpet, designed with a 160 $μ$m pitch, is applied to the lateral collection of ions in xenon at pressures up to 600 mbar. We demonstrate transport efficiency of caesium ions across varying pressures, and compare with microscopic simulations made in the SIMION package. The novel use of an N-phased RF carpet at high pressure can achieve ion levitation and controlled lateral motion in a denser environment than is typical for RF ion transport in gases. This feature makes such carpets strong candidates for ion transport to single ion sensors envisaged for future neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments in xenon gas.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2024

Vertically stacked amorphous selenium based VUV photodetectors for use in liquid noble detectors

We present results from the characterization of a vertically stacked amorphous selenium (aSe)-based photodetector for use in cryogenic environments. aSe has been identified as an ideal photoconductor that can efficiently convert vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light to charges even at cryogenic temperatures. We have designed and fabricated an aSe device in vertical geometry with top and bottom metal electrodes that produces an electric field perpendicular to the substrate. The top-metal contact has an open design that results in a large fraction of the aSe thin film surface to be active for photodetection. Our experiments show that the vertically stacked aSe device detects light from a Xenon flash lamp in a vacuum environment and can produce measurable signals at $\sim $130K. We also demonstrate a significant enhancement in the amplitude of the photoinduced signal by growing graphene on the top-metal contact and the aSe thin film. Our results provide the first demonstration of a vertical aSe based VUV photodetector that utilizes the wide-band optical transparency of graphene top-electrode. Our results could open the doorway to a potentially game-changing solution of an integrated charge and light sensor that can be employed in future large-scale time projection chambers with pixelated anode planes.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2023

Measurement and analysis of the Doppler broadened energy spectra of annihilation gamma radiation originating from clean and adsorbate-covered surfaces

We present measurements and theoretical modeling demonstrating the capability of Doppler Broadened annihilation gamma Spectroscopy (DBS) to provide element-specific information from the topmost atomic layer of surfaces that are either clean or covered with adsorbates or thin films. Our measurements show that the energy spectra of Doppler-shifted annihilation gamma photons emitted following the annihilation of positrons from the topmost atomic layers of clean gold (Au) and copper (Cu) differ significantly. With the aid of the positron annihilation-induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES) performed simultaneously with DBS, we show that measurable differences between the Doppler broadened gamma spectra from Au and Cu surfaces in the high energy region of the gamma spectra can be used for the quantification of surface chemical composition. Modeling the measured Doppler spectra from clean Au and Cu surfaces using gamma spectra obtained from ab initio calculations after considering the detector energy resolution and surface positronium formation pointed to an increase in the relative contribution of gamma from positron annihilation with valence shell electrons. The fit result also suggests that the surface-trapped positrons predominantly annihilated with the delocalized valence shell (s and p) electrons that extended into the vacuum as compared to the highly localized d electrons. Simultaneous DBS and PAES measurements from adsorbate (sulfur, oxygen, carbon) or thin film (selenium (Se), graphene) covered Cu surface showed that it is possible to distinguish and quantify the surface adsorbate and thin-film composition just based on DBS. DBS of elemental surfaces presents a promising avenue for developing a characterization tool that can be used to probe external and internal surfaces that are inaccessible by conventional surface science techniques.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2023

Monte Carlo analysis of the contributions of long-lived positronium to the spectra of positron-impact-induced secondary electrons measured using an annihilation-gamma-triggered time-of-flight spectrometer

Magnetic bottle Time-of-Flight (ToF) spectrometers can measure the energy spectra of all electrons emitted into a 2$π$ sr solid angle simultaneously, greatly reducing data collection time. When the detection of the annihilation gamma ($γ$) and the detection of the electron (e) are used as timing signals for ToF spectrometers, the e-$γ$ time difference spectra (e-$γ$ TDS) are reflective of the positron-induced electron energy distributions provided the times between the impact of the positrons and the emission of the annihilation gammas are short compared to the flight times of the electrons. This is typically the case since positrons have short lifetime in solids ($\sim$ 100 - 500 ps) compared to the flight times of the secondary electrons ($10^2$ ns to $10^3$ ns). However, if the positron leaves the surface as a positronium atom (a bound electron-positron state), the annihilation gamma photons can be appreciably delayed due to the longer ortho-positronium (o-Ps) lifetime. This can result in an e-$γ$ TDS having an exponential tail with a decay constant related to the o-Ps lifetime. Here, we present an analysis of the e-$γ$ TDS using a Monte Carlo model which estimates the spectral contributions resulting from o-Ps annihilations. By removing the contributions from the delayed gamma signal, the energy spectrum of Positron Impact-Induced Secondary electrons (PIISE) can be isolated. Furthermore, our analysis allows an estimation of the intensity of the exponential tail in the e-$γ$ TDS providing a method to measure the fraction of positrons that form Ps at solid surfaces without relying on assumed 100% Ps emitting surfaces for calibration.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2021

Identification of Auger mechanisms responsible for low energy electron emission from graphene on copper using Auger-gamma coincidence spectroscopy

We present a novel method for the analysis of the Doppler broadened spectrum of gamma photons emitted following the annihilation of surface trapped positrons with the electrons of bilayer graphene supported on polycrystalline Cu substrate. The method relies on the measurement of the energy of the Doppler shifted annihilation gamma photons in coincidence with the Auger electrons emitted following the decay of the contemporaneously produced annihilation induced hole. Through the selection of annihilation gamma corresponding to O KVV (adsorbed O), C KVV (graphene), and Cu MVV (substrate) Auger transitions, we have decomposed the annihilation gamma spectrum into spectral components representing annihilation of the positron with 1s electrons of C and O and 3p electrons of Cu. These experimentally derived Doppler broadened gamma line shapes agrees well with the theoretically derived model line shapes demonstrating the ability of our method to resolve a complex Doppler line shapes into its veiled electronic level constituents which has, heretofore, only been achieved through theoretical analysis. We have also demonstrated the reversibility of the analysis method by decomposing the Auger spectra into regions which corresponds to the annihilation gamma photons with a large Doppler shift or to Auger spectra correlated with annihilation gamma photons with a small doppler shift. The reverse analysis provides additional proof that Auger transitions following deep valence annihilations result in the emission of low energy electrons.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Efficient Machine Learning Approach for Optimizing the Timing Resolution of a High Purity Germanium Detector

We describe here an efficient machine-learning based approach for the optimization of parameters used for extracting the arrival time of waveforms, in particular those generated by the detection of 511 keV annihilation gamma-rays by a 60 cm3 coaxial high purity germanium detector (HPGe). The method utilizes a type of artificial neural network (ANN) called a self-organizing map (SOM) to cluster the HPGe waveforms based on the shape of their rising edges. The optimal timing parameters for HPGe waveforms belonging to a particular cluster are found by minimizing the time difference between the HPGe signal and a signal produced by a BaF2 scintillation detector. Applying these variable timing parameters to the HPGe signals achieved a gamma-coincidence timing resolution of ~ 4.3 ns at the 511 keV photo peak (defined as 511 +- 50 keV) and a timing resolution of ~ 6.5 ns for the entire gamma spectrum--without rejecting any valid pulses. This timing resolution approaches the best obtained by analog nuclear electronics, without the corresponding complexities of analog optimization procedures. We further demonstrate the universality and efficacy of the machine learning approach by applying the method to the generation of secondary electron time-of-flight spectra following the implantation of energetic positrons on a sample.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2020

A multi-stop time-of-flight spectrometer for the measurement of positron annihilation-induced electrons in coincidence with the Doppler-shifted annihilation gamma photon

Here we describe an advanced multi functional, variable-energy positron beam system capable of measuring the energies of multiple positron-induced electrons in coincidence with the Doppler-shifted gamma photon resulting from the annihilation of the correlated positron. The measurements were carried out using the unique characteristics of the digital time-of-flight spectrometer and the gamma spectrometer available with the advanced positron beam system. These measurements have resulted in (i) the first digital time of flight spectrum of positron annihilation-induced Auger electrons generated using coincident signals from a high-purity Ge detector and a micro-channel plate; (ii) a two-dimensional array of the energy of Doppler-broadened annihilation gamma and the time of flight of positron-annihilation induced Auger electrons or secondary electrons measured in coincidence with the annihilation gamma photon; and (iii) the time of flight spectra of multiple secondary electrons ejected from a bilayer graphene surface as a result of the impact and(or) annihilation of positrons. The novelty of the gamma electron coincidence spectroscopy has been demonstrated by extracting the Doppler-broadened spectrum of gamma photons emitted due to the annihilation of positrons exclusively with 1s electrons of carbon. The width of the extracted Doppler-broadened gamma spectrum has been found to be consistent with the expected broadening of the annihilation gamma spectrum due to the momentum of the 1s electrons in carbon.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2019

Positron Induced Electron Emission from Graphite

In this paper, we present and analyze measurements of the positron induced electron spectra (PIES) from highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). The spectra were obtained using a time of flight spectrometer attached to a variable energy positron beam. In the first measurements presented, the system was configured to obtain high resolution data from the annihilation induced KVV Auger transition of carbon. In the second set of data presented, PIES spectra were obtained for 3 different positron beam energies (1.25 eV, 3.5 eV and 4.5 eV). The resulting time of flight (ToF)-PIES exhibit contributions arising from either positron annihilation induced Auger processes (PAES), Auger mediated positron sticking (AMPS), or secondary electron emission. Our analysis indicates that for incident positron energies 3.5 eV and less, the ToF-PIES can be accounted for considering only two mechanisms: positron annihilation induced Auger processes or positron sticking.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Application of Doppler Broadened Gamma Spectroscopy to Study the Surface of Graphene

We present Doppler broadened gamma spectra, obtained using the newly developed advanced positron beam at the University of Texas at Arlington, from a sample consisting of 6 to 8 layers of graphene (MLG) on polycrystalline Cu. The kinetic energy of the positron beam was varied form 2 eV to 20 keV allowing for a depth resolved measurement. The ratio curves formed by dividing the measured Doppler broadened gamma spectra obtained at low positron kinetic energies (~2eV) to the gamma spectra obtained at 20 keV were compared to ratio curves found by dividing the calculated spectra of bulk graphite to bulk Cu. The ratio curves obtained from the measured results show qualitative agreement with those obtained from the calculated spectra. In particular, both sets of curves indicate a much reduced intensity at high momentum. The agreement between the measured and calculated curves is consistent with the hypothesis that the 2eV spectra correspond to the Doppler broadened spectra from the thin overlayer of Graphene (which we anticipate should be similar to the spectra obtained from bulk graphite) and that the spectra taken at 20 keV corresponds to bulk Cu due to the fact that most of the positrons implanted at this energy annihilate in the Cu substrate. The results taken at 2 eV provide evidence that it is possible to obtain chemically sensitive information from the top atomic layers of surfaces (both internal and external) from an analysis of the high momentum tail of the Doppler broadened gamma spectra obtained from the annihilation of positrons at the surface.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Positronium formation in graphene and graphite

Positronium (Ps) formation on the surface of clean polycrystalline copper (Cu), highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and multi layer graphene (MLG) grown on a polycrystalline copper substrate has been investigated as a function of incident positron kinetic energy (1.5eV to 1keV). Measurments on Cu indicate that as the kinetic energy of the incident positrons increases from 1.5eV to 900eV, the fraction of positrons that form Ps ($f_{Ps}$) decreases from ~0.5 to ~0.3. However, in HOPG and MLG, instead of a monotonic decrease of $f_{Ps}$ with positron kinetic energy, a sharp peak is observed at ~ 5eV and above ~200eV,remains nearly constant in HOPG and MLG. We propose that in HOPG and MLG, at low incident positron energies the Ps formation is dominated either by a surface Plasmon assisted electron pick up process or by an energy dependent back scattering process. Both these processes can explain the peak observed and the present data can help to augment the understanding of Ps formation from layered materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Direct observation of electron emission as a result of a VVV Auger transition in the valence band of Graphene

We report the first direct observation of electron emission into the vacuum as a result of a VVV Auger transition resulting from the relaxation of a deep hole in the valence band. A beam of low energy (<1.25eV) positrons was used to deposit positrons onto the surface of samples consisting of single layer graphene, multi-layer graphene and graphite. The distribution of electrons emitted from the samples as a result of the annihilation of the positron showed peak extending up to ~12 eV with a maximum at ~4eV. The observed peak was ~17 times larger than the previously observed annihilation induced C KVV peak. An analysis based upon a density functional theory calculation of the positron annihilation rates indicates that the width and intensity of the peak is consistent with electron emission resulting from VVV Auger transition excited by the annihilation of valence band electrons. Good agreement was found between the data from the single layer graphene on Cu surface with a theoretical line shape found from a self-folding of the density of states for a free standing graphene layer. The agreement between the theoretical and measured intensities for the KVV and VVV transitions indicates that the branching ratio for holes to decay via an Auger transition is nearly the same in both cases (i.e. close to 100%). Our results suggest the possibility of using annihilation induced VVV Auger spectroscopy to study the properties of the local density of states and the hole decay processes in materials in which the valence band width exceeds the work function.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗