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New 1mm thick Silicon Drift Detectors for future researches of Kaonic Atoms and the Pauli Exclusion principle

F. Clozza, F. Sgaramella, L. Abbene, F. Artibani, M. Bazzi, G. Borghi, D. Bosnar, M. Bragadireanu, A. Buttacavoli, M. Carminati, A. Clozza, R. Del Grande, L. De Paolis, E. Demenev, C. Fiorini, I. Friščić, C. Guaraldo, M. Iliescu, M. Iwasaki, A. Khreptak, S. Manti, J. Marton, P. Moskal, H. Ohnishi, K. Piscicchia, F. Principato, A. Samusenko, A. Scordo, D. Sirghi, F. Sirghi, M. Skurzok, A. Spallone, K. Toho, J. Zmeskal, N. Zorzi, C. Curceanu

TL;DR

The paper addresses the need to extend precision X-ray spectroscopy of kaonic atoms and tests of the Pauli Exclusion Principle to heavier nuclei. It presents the development of 1 mm-thick monolithic Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) to boost detection efficiency in the 10–30 keV range, enabling measurements of kaonic transitions in heavier atoms and higher-Z PEP-violation searches. Bench and prototype tests show efficient detection up to ~30 keV, with significant efficiency gains (roughly 70% at 20 keV and 100% at 30 keV) over the existing 450 μm devices, and a detector geometry conducive to integration into SIDDHARTA-2 and VIP-3. The upgraded detectors, planned as eight arrays for VIP-3, broaden the physics reach to Ag, Sn, Zr and beyond, advancing insights into kaon–nucleon interactions and potential spin-statistics violations in heavier systems.

Abstract

Kaonic atoms, formed when a negatively charged kaon replaces an electron, provide a sensitive probe of the low-energy strong interaction via precision X-ray spectroscopy. The SIDDHARTA-2 experiment at the DA$Φ$NE collider employs high-performance Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) optimized for the 4-12 keV range to study light kaonic systems. In preparation for the EXKALIBUR phase, which targets heavier kaonic atoms, new 1 mm-thick SDDs have been developed with Politecnico di Milano and Fondazione Bruno Kessler. Their increased thickness enhances the quantum efficiency by a factor of about two at 30 keV while preserving excellent energy resolution. These detectors are also intended for VIP-3, the next-generation test of the Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP). Building on VIP-2, which set the most stringent limits on PEP-violating $K_α$ transitions in copper, VIP-3 will extend the search to heavier elements such as Ag, Sn, and Zr. Preliminary measurements demonstrate efficient detection up to 30 keV, supporting future high-precision studies of the kaon-nucleon interaction and PEP in heavier systems.

New 1mm thick Silicon Drift Detectors for future researches of Kaonic Atoms and the Pauli Exclusion principle

TL;DR

The paper addresses the need to extend precision X-ray spectroscopy of kaonic atoms and tests of the Pauli Exclusion Principle to heavier nuclei. It presents the development of 1 mm-thick monolithic Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) to boost detection efficiency in the 10–30 keV range, enabling measurements of kaonic transitions in heavier atoms and higher-Z PEP-violation searches. Bench and prototype tests show efficient detection up to ~30 keV, with significant efficiency gains (roughly 70% at 20 keV and 100% at 30 keV) over the existing 450 μm devices, and a detector geometry conducive to integration into SIDDHARTA-2 and VIP-3. The upgraded detectors, planned as eight arrays for VIP-3, broaden the physics reach to Ag, Sn, Zr and beyond, advancing insights into kaon–nucleon interactions and potential spin-statistics violations in heavier systems.

Abstract

Kaonic atoms, formed when a negatively charged kaon replaces an electron, provide a sensitive probe of the low-energy strong interaction via precision X-ray spectroscopy. The SIDDHARTA-2 experiment at the DANE collider employs high-performance Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) optimized for the 4-12 keV range to study light kaonic systems. In preparation for the EXKALIBUR phase, which targets heavier kaonic atoms, new 1 mm-thick SDDs have been developed with Politecnico di Milano and Fondazione Bruno Kessler. Their increased thickness enhances the quantum efficiency by a factor of about two at 30 keV while preserving excellent energy resolution. These detectors are also intended for VIP-3, the next-generation test of the Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP). Building on VIP-2, which set the most stringent limits on PEP-violating transitions in copper, VIP-3 will extend the search to heavier elements such as Ag, Sn, and Zr. Preliminary measurements demonstrate efficient detection up to 30 keV, supporting future high-precision studies of the kaon-nucleon interaction and PEP in heavier systems.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 4 sections, 3 figures, 2 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Kaonic Atoms and Pauli Exlusion principle
  2. New 1mm Silicon Drift Detectors
  3. Conclusions
  4. Acknowledgments

Figures (3)

  • Figure 1: Detection efficiency as a function of the incoming radiation energy for different thicknesses of the silicon drift detectors. With respect to 450 $\mu$m, 1mm thick detectors exhibit an increase of approximately 70% and 100% for 20 keV and 30 keV X-rays, respectively.
  • Figure 2: Prototype of the new 1 mm SDD array developed in collaboration with FBK.
  • Figure 3: Raw X-ray spectrum acquired with one of the 1 mm SDD prototypes. Characteristic lines from various calibration (Fe, Cu, Br, Zr, Sn) and contamination (Pb, Pd, Ag, Cd, Te) sources are clearly visible in the 6–30 keV energy range.