SiPM development for the imaging Cherenkov and fluorescence telescopes

Abstract

A silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) is a novel solid state photodetector which has an outstanding photon counting ability. The device has excellent features such as high quantum efficiency (QE), good charge resolution, fast response (<100ps), very compact size, high gain (up to 2∼3×106), very low power consumption with low bias voltages (30∼70V), immunity to the magnetic field. In the last few years, UV sensitive SiPMs with a p-on-n structure have been developed by a few companies such as Hamamatsu, Photonique, Zecotek Photonics Inc., and institutes such as the MPI-HLL (Max-Planck-Institute for Physics—Max-Planck-Institute Semiconductor Laboratory) as well as the MPI-MEPhI (Max-Planck-Institute for Physics—Moscow Engineering Physical Institute). UV sensitive SiPMs are particularly promising for astroparticle physics applications in imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs), such as MAGIC/MAGIC-II [1] and CTA [2], and a fluorescence telescope in the space, JEM-EUSO [3].The current status of the SiPM development by MPI-HLL, MPI-MEPhI, and the study of the application to the telescopes noted above will be reported.