Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are widely used in photon counting experiments today because of their high photon detection efficiency, compactness, small dead area, and low bias voltage. However, SiPMs tend to have higher dark count rate than conventional photomultiplier tubes, and their temperature dependence is known to be non-negligible. Therefore, it is essential to characterize and...
We are developing a Ring Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detector for the MARQ spectrometer at J-PARC’s Hadron Hall, specifically designed for particle identification in the momentum range of 2-18 GeV/c. The detector, with dimensions of 4x6x2 m³, employs a dual-radiator configuration, combining Aerogel (n=1.04) and C3F8O gas (n=1.00137), to discriminate among scattered particles such as pions, kaons,...
Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are being used by many rare-event search experiments to read out scintillation light from liquid noble detectors due to their single-photon resolution. Knowledge of the photon detection efficiency (PDE) of these SiPMs is a critical input for modeling these detectors' light responses and optimizing their sensitivities for new physics; however, the PDEs of SiPMs...
Understanding the optical properties of various components in water Cherenkov neutrino experiments is essential for accurate detector characterization, which is critical for precise measurements. Of particular importance is the characterization of surface reflectivity within the Cherenkov volume. I will present a methodology for surface reflectivity characterization using a goniometer setup,...
The Hyper-K experiment employs a near detector to measure and study neutrino interactions approximately 1 km downstream from the production point, where the oscillation effect is negligible. This detector is known as the Intermediate Water Cherenkov Detector (IWCD). A new detector technology called the multi-PMT (mPMT) has been developed due to its better timing and spatial resolution compared...
Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are semiconductor photodetectors increasingly used in high-energy physics experiments. In the planned upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) experiment, they are considered to be used to detect Cherenkov photons in the Ring Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detectors. In this application, the biggest drawback of current SiPMs is their susceptibility to...
The CERN Beam Instrumentation Group has developed a new scintillating fibre beam profile monitor for the secondary beam lines of the CERN North Experimental Area. This innovative monitor employs plastic scintillating fibres, read out with silicon photomultipliers, to provide a cost-effective and efficient solution for beam profiling. The design goals for the new monitor included ease and low...
Super-Kamiokande (SK) is 50kT water Cherenkov neutrino detector composed of approximately 11,000 20” Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs). Magnetic fields are understood to affect photoelectron trajectories through the bulb of large-sized PMTs, and consequently can affect their performance. As SK moves towards a systematically limited future, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the...
The Hyper-Kamiokande (HK) is a next-generation neutrino experiment built in Japan and scheduled to begin operation in 2027. A new PMT has been developed for the HK water Cherenkov detector with modifications in detection efficiency, timing resolution, and pressure tolerance by a factor of two with respect to those used in the Super-Kamiokande detector. The HK detector will be instrumented with...
Noble element Time Projection Chambers are cutting edge detectors in high energy physics, their use spanning across fields from neutrino to dark matter to neutrino-less double-beta decay experiments. Whereas the charge collection is a well-understood process, improving the light collection is key to enhance detection sensitivity. Noble elements (Xenon and Argon) scintillate in the deep VUV...
Optical observations with high time-resolution should be a key to understand the origin of sub-millisecond time-scale astronomical phenomena such as giant radio pulses from the Crab Pulsar. We have developed a high-speed imaging system, Imager of MPPC-based Optical photoN counter from Yamagata (IMONY), using a customized Multi-Pixel Photon Counter (MPPC) as a sensor. This sensor is designed to...
Photon detection efficiency (PDE) is a critical parameter in semiconductor and vacuum photodetectors used in particle and astroparticle physics experiments. Enhancing PDE in the relevant wavelength range and suppressing background photons are essential for optimizing experimental performance. Reflectance and transmittance at the photodetector surface, typically estimated using Fresnel's law,...
Recently, $\alpha$-ray emitting radionuclides, which can treat cancer locally and effectively, have been attracting attention in the in the field of nuclear medicine. Among these, At-211, which is produced in cyclotrons in Japan, is particularly promising. Therefore, it is important to visualize the distribution of At-211 in vivo during targeted radioisotope therapy.
Currently, human SPECT...
Mid-wave infrared (MWIR) photodetectors are obtaining increased market demand in various application fields such as sensing, spectroscopy, medical diagnostics, and communication systems. The application scope is also being expanded due to the integration ability for these devices into the silicon platforms. Although the MWIR avalanche photodiodes (APDs) have been developed and reported by...
Photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) are crucial in photon-counting experiments due to their high detection efficiency and low noise levels. A key application is in imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs), which observe Cherenkov light from air showers triggered by high-energy gamma and cosmic rays. They are also employed in the Large-Sized Telescopes (LSTs) and the Medium-Sized Telescopes of...
The ALPHA-g experiment recently made headlines for the first direct measurement of the gravitational free-fall of anti-hydrogen. Crucial to this milestone is a detector system capable of accurately recording the vertical position of annihilating anti-atoms, with two critical requirements: precise localization of anti-hydrogen annihilations into the “up” or “down” regions, and effective...
