2021/06/30 by Liron Barak, L. Barak, Itay M. Bloch +32
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic physics #CCD and CMOS Imaging Sensors #Characterization (materials science) #Charge (physics) #Computer science #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #Dark current #Dark matter #Detector #Electron #Electron scattering #Electronic engineering #Nuclear physics #Optics #Particle Detector Development and Performance #Particle physics #Physics #Sensitivity (control systems) #Spurious relationship #astro-ph.CO #astro-ph.IM #hep-ex #physics.ins-det
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevapplied.17.014022
published as Phys. Rev. Applied 17, 014022 (2022) · 9 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables
openalex publication_date 2022/01/19 · openalex created_date 2022/01/25 · arxiv created 2022/01/26 · arxiv updated 2022/01/27 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
We use a science-grade skipper charge-coupled device (skipper CCD) operating in a low-radiation background environment to develop a semiempirical model that characterizes the origin of single-electron events in CCDs. We identify, separate, and quantify three independent contributions to the single-electron events, which were previously bundled together and classified as ``dark counts'': dark current, amplifier light, and spurious charge. We measure a dark current, which depends on exposure, of (5.89\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi0.77)\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi10^\ensuremath-4\phantom\rule0.2em0exe^\ensuremath-/pix/day, and an unprecedentedly low spurious charge contribution of (1.52\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi0.07)\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi10^\ensuremath-4\phantom\rule0.2em0exe^\ensuremath-/pix, which is exposure independent. In addition, we provide a technique to study events produced by light emitted from the amplifier, which allows the detector's operation to be optimized to minimize this effect to a level below the dark-current contribution. Our accurate characterization of the single-electron events allows one to greatly extend the sensitivity of experiments searching for dark matter or coherent neutrino scattering. Moreover, an accurate understanding of the origin of single-electron events is critical to further progress in ongoing research and development efforts of skipper and conventional CCDs.