Optical imaging in dual-phase xenon time projection chambers for neutrinoless double beta decay searches
Abstract
Dual-phase xenon time projection chambers (TPCs) are the leading technology for WIMP dark matter searches and have also demonstrated competitive sensitivities to neutrinoless double beta decays (0νββ) of \ce{^{136}Xe}. However, the large energy disparity between these two signals requires different detector optimizations. In particular, 0νββ\ searches in liquid xenon desire efficient rejection of closely located multiscatters of background gamma rays near the 0νββ\ energy, a capability achieved only in the vertical dimension in existing dual-phase xenon TPCs. We propose a highly customized, wide-angle optical system that can be conveniently integrated into large xenon TPCs and provide mm-scale transverse position resolution for MeV signals by imaging gas electroluminescence light. This approach preserves a TPC's low-energy sensitivity and optimizes a single experiment for both dark matter and 0νββ\ searches. This paper discusses the design, simulated performance, and implications of the imaging system for future liquid xenon-based 0νββ\ searches.
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BibTeX
@misc{tidball2026optical,
title = {{Optical imaging in dual-phase xenon time projection chambers for neutrinoless double beta decay searches}},
author = {Adam D. Tidball and Jingke Xu and Brian G. Lenardo and Nicholas Antipa},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.26739},
eprint = {2610.26739},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.26739},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Optical imaging in dual-phase xenon time projection chambers for neutrinoless double beta decay searches
AU - Adam D. Tidball
AU - Jingke Xu
AU - Brian G. Lenardo
AU - Nicholas Antipa
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.26739
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.26739
AB - Dual-phase xenon time projection chambers (TPCs) are the leading technology for WIMP dark matter searches and have also demonstrated competitive sensitivities to neutrinoless double beta decays (0νββ) of \ce{^{136}Xe}. However, the large energy disparity between these two signals requires different detector optimizations. In particular, 0νββ\ searches in liquid xenon desire efficient rejection of closely located multiscatters of background gamma rays near the 0νββ\ energy, a capability achieved only in the vertical dimension in existing dual-phase xenon TPCs. We propose a highly customized, wide-angle optical system that can be conveniently integrated into large xenon TPCs and provide mm-scale transverse position resolution for MeV signals by imaging gas electroluminescence light. This approach preserves a TPC's low-energy sensitivity and optimizes a single experiment for both dark matter and 0νββ\ searches. This paper discusses the design, simulated performance, and implications of the imaging system for future liquid xenon-based 0νββ\ searches.
ER -