Neganov-Luke amplified cryogenic light detectors for the background discrimination in neutrinoless double beta decay search with TeO2 bolometers

Abstract

We demonstrate that Neganov-Luke amplified cryogenic light detectors with Transition Edge Sensor read-out can be applied for the background suppression in cryogenic experiments searching for the neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te with TeO2 based bolometers. Electron and gamma induced events can be discriminated from α events by detecting the Cherenkov light produced by the β particles emitted in the decay. We use the Cherenkov light produced by events in the full energy peak of 208Tl and by events from a 147Sm source to show that at the Q-value of the neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te (Qβ β = 2.53 MeV), a separation of e−/γ events from α events can be achieved on an event-by-event basis with practically no reduction in signal acceptance.