J. P. Castle

Deployment of the first CDMS II ZIP Detectors at the Stanford Underground Facility

Abstract The CDMS II experiment deployed the first set of ZIP (Z-dependent Ionization and Phonon) detectors at the Stanford Underground Facility (SUF) shallow depth site in the spring of 2000. With a payload consisting of 3 Ge (250g ea.) and 3 Si (100g ea.) ZIPs, the run was the first demostration of multiple ZIPs operating simltaneously. Good discrimination between electron and nuclear recoil events of 99.8% was established, down to recoil energies of 10 keV. A measurement of the γ, β, and neutron backgrounds was made.

Phonon-mediated superconducting transition-edge sensor x-ray detectors for use in astronomy

In this paper we present preliminary work on a spatial, arrival time and energy resolving x-ray detector for the study of magnetic reconnection in the solar corona. Our detectors are cryogenic phonon-mediated superconducting Transition-Edge Sensors (TESs). X-rays are incident on a silicon substrate; the generated phonons propagate to the opposite side of the substrate and are absorbed in the tungsten TES electron system. Through a novel spatial distribution of four TESs we aim to achieve simultaneous measurement resolutions of ~10 μm, sub μs, and ~4 eV and with count rates of ~1 kHz. This four TES system is described and preliminary data obtained with a prototype two-channel detector is presented.

Position dependence in the CDMS II ZIP detectors

The Ge and Si detectors developed by the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) II experiment rely on the simultaneous detection of athermal phonons and ionization produced by interactions in the crystal. The athermal phonons provide both the total energy deposited in an interaction and the information about the position of the interaction. We describe extracting this information from the pulse shapes in the four phonon sensors. We present the result of measurements made on a Si detector from the first CDMS II production batch. We also investigate ways of using the event position information to extract further information about the phonon signal.

Demonstration of the CDMS II ZIP technology at a shallow underground site

The most recent CDMS data run (Run 20) was the first run in which multiple ZIP detectors were deployed. Three Si (0.100 kg each) and 3 Ge (0.250 kg each) ZIPs were run with the goals of fully testing such a configuration as well as measuring the γ, β, and n rates simultaneously with Ge and Si detectors. Calibration with γ and n sources established the bulk electron recoil leakage into the neutron band to be less than 0.2%. Low background data taken during the summer of 2000 produced a simultaneous measurement of the muon coincident neutron background with Si and Ge detectors.

Development of superconducting transition edge sensors for time- and energy-resolved single-photon counters with application to imaging astronomy

Transition Edge Sensor (TES) quantum microcalorimeters can provide intrinsic arrival time and energy resolved measurements of individual photons over a large energy range centered on the optical band. Our TESs consist of thin-film superconduting tungsten pixels on a silicon substrate. The pixels are voltage-biased to remain in the sharp superconducting transition region through negative electrothermal feedback. We report progress on our first imaging TES array of 32 pixels. We describe the experimental apparatus, summarize recent progress, characterize detector performance and outline the future path of TES development.

Determination of the Tc distribution for 1000 Transition Edge Sensors

The ZIP detectors deployed in the CDMS II experiment utilize phonon sensors comprising W Transition Edge Sensors (TESs). In order to ensure uniform collection of the athermal phonon signal the TESs are dispersed uniformly on one side of a 1 cm thick, 3 inch diameter, disk. Each quadrant contains 1036 TESs connected in parallel to one series-array SQUID amplifier. The initial superconducting transition temperatures of these TESs tend to be too high for our requirements, and substantial gradients make the operation of the detectors difficult. Hence our implementation of Fe-56 ion implantation, as reported at the previous LTD meeting, to reduce in a controlled manner the transition temperature. However, the successful implementation of this ion-implantation scheme requires accurate knowledge of the initial transition temperature of each TES in a given quadrant. We report on our approaches and techniques employed to address the issue of determining the initial Tc distribution.

A testing strategy for the mass production of CDMS II detectors

The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) employs detectors which are capable of simultaneously measuring the ionization and phonon energies deposited by a particle collision. These detectors are 1-cm-thick, 7-cm-diameter crystals of either germanium or silicon with a thin film of aluminum and tungsten patterned on the surface. This presentation discusses the testing regimen that a typical CDMS detector undergoes before it gets approval for final installation at the CDMS II deep side in Soudan, MN which should be coming online within a year. Now that our technology is relatively stable, the main focus of our test facilities is to provide quality control for the mass production of our detectors. First, the critical temperatures of the tungsten and other basic quantities are measured in preparation for iron implantation, which will bring the Tc down to the desired range (70 mK). The same basic measurements are taken again after implantation to assure that the correct Tc was achieved. Finally, a detailed map o...

PERFORMANCE AND BACKGROUND MEASUREMENTS OF THE CDMS II TOWER I DETECTORS AT THE STANFORD UNDERGROUND FACILITY

T. SAAB, P.L. BRINK, L. BAUDIS, B. CABRERA, J.P. CASTLE, ANDC. CHANGDepartment of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94350, USAR. J. GAITSKELL AND J.P. THOMSONDepartment of Physics, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USAD.S. AKERIB, D. DRISCOLL, S. KAMAT, T.A. PERERA, R.W. SCHNEEAND G. WANGDepartment of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH44106, USAM. B. CRISLER, R. DIXON AND D. HOLMGRENFermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, IL 60510, USAJ.H. EMES, R.R. ROSS, A. SMITH AND G.W. SMITHLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USAJ.M. MARTINISNational Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80303, USAT. SHUTTDepartment of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USAB.A. YOUNGDepartment of Physics, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USAM.S. ARMEL, V. MANDIC, P. MEUNIER, W. RAU, B. SADOULET ANDD.N. SEITZDepartment of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720,

WIMP EXCLUSION RESULTS FROM THE CDMS EXPERIMENT

In early 2000 CDMS set the most competitive exclusion limit for scalar-interaction WIMPs at the Stanford Underground Facility (SUF). A new search (CDMS II) is now commencing at the Deep-site Soudan Facility.

Present status of the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS II) experiment

Abstract The CDMS experiment utilizes Ge and Si detectors operating at 20 mK to search for the Dark Matter of the Universe hypothesized to exist in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). In early 2000, CDMS set the most competitive exclusion limit for scalar-interaction WIMPs in the Stanford Underground Facility (SUF). A new search (CDMS II) is now commencing with several improvements: a deep-site facility in the Soudan mine, Minnesota; and the detector technology has been further improved to aid in the rejection of surface-electron (β) events. A new generation of detectors, sensitive to the initial athermal phonon flux from a particle event, have been in operation for the past year at Stanfords shallow site and are ready for installation at the deep site.