Detection of Vacuum Ultraviolet light by means of SiPM for High Energy Physics experiments

Silicon Photo-Multipliers (SiPMs) are now widely used as light detectors for several high energy physics experiments. The performance of these devices for the detection of scintillation light of liquefied noble gases, such as Liquid Xenon (LXe) or Liquid Argon (LAr), that emit photons in the Vacuum Ultra-Violet region (VUV, lambda = 100 divided by 200 nm) will be presented. In particular, SiPM arrays produced by Hamamatsu, SensL and AdvanSiD have been tested in terms of quantum efficiency using a VUV measurement system based on a monochromator, a deuterium lamp and a NIST calibrated photodiode. A comparison between standard (plastic window) and completely naked devices has been carried out on the wavelength range of lambda = 120 divided by 170 nm. Sensitivity in detecting VUV light of tested devices is comparable to standard bialkali PMTs covered with wavelength shifter. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.