Development of a low-background neutron detector array

A low-background neutron detector array was developed to measure the cross section of the ^(13)C(a,n)^(16)O reaction,which is the neutron source for the s-process in AGB stars,in the Gamow window(E_(c.m.)=190±40 keV)at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory(CJPL).The detector array consists of 24^(3)He proportional counters embedded in a polyethylene cube.Owing to the deep underground location and a borated polyethylene shield around the detector array,a low background of 4.5(2)/h was achieved.The ^(51)V(p,n)^(51)Cr reaction was used to determine the neutron detection efficiency of the array for neutrons with energies E_(n)<1 MeV.Geant4 simulations are shown to effectively reproduce the experimental results.They were used to extrapolate the detection efficiency to higher energies for neutrons emitted in the ^(13)C(α,n)^(16)O reaction.The theoretical angular distributions of the ^(13)C(α,n)^(16)O reaction were shown to be important in the estimation of the uncertainties of the detection efficiency.

Performance of the CAT-TPC based on two-dimensional readout strips

A gas detector 140×140×140 mm^(3)in size,termed the compact active target time projection chamber(CAT-TPC),was developed in this study to measure resonant scattering associated with cluster structures in unstable nuclei.The CAT-TPC consists of an electronic field cage,double-thick gas-electron-multiplier foils,a general-purpose digital data acquisition system,and a newly developed two-dimensional strip-readout structure.The CAT-TPC was operated using a^(4)He(96%)+CO_(2)(4%)gas mixture at 400 mbar.The working gas also serves as an active target for tracking charged particles.The overall performance of the CAT-TPC was evaluated using a collimated a-particle source.A time resolution of less than 20 ns and a position resolution of less than 0.2 mm were observed along the electron drift direction.Threedimensional images of incident trajectories and scattering events can be clearly reconstructed under an angular resolution of approximately 0.45 degree.

Short-wavelength infrared InAs/GaSb superlattice hole avalanche photodiode

We demonstrate two short-wavelength infrared avalanche photodiodes based on InAs/GaSb superlattice grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition.The difference between the two devices,namely,p+n-n+and p+nn-n+,is that the p+nn-n+device possesses an additional middle-doped layer to separate the multiplication region from the absorption region.By properly controlling the electric field distribution in the p+nn-n+device,an electric field of 906 kV/cm has been achieved,which is 2.6 times higher than that in the p+n-n+device.At a reverse bias of-0.1 V at 77 K,both devices show a 100%cut-off wavelength of 2.25μm.The p+n-n+and p+nn-n+show a dark current density of 1.5×10^-7 A/cm^2 and 1.8×10^-8 A/cm^2,and a peak responsivity about 0.35 A/W and 0.40 A/W at 1.5μm,respectively.A maximum multiplication gain of 55 is achieved in the p+nn-n+device while the value is only less than 2 in the p+n-n+device.Exponential nature of the gain characteristic as a function of reverse bias confirms a single carrier hole dominated impact ionization.