A new generation of cryogenic light detectors exploiting Neganov-Luke effect to enhance the thermal signal has been used to detect the Cherenkov light emitted by the electrons interacting in TeO2 crystals. With this mechanism a high significance event-by-event discrimination between alpha and beta/gamma interactions at the 130Te neutrino-less double beta decay Q-value - (2527.515 ± 0.013) keV - has been demonstrated. This measurement opens the possibility of drastically reducing the background in cryogenic experiments based on TeO2.
@article{arxiv.1603.08049,
title = {Cerenkov light identification with Si low-temperature detectors with Neganov-Luke effect-enhanced sensitivity},
author = {L. Gironi and M. Biassoni and C. Brofferio and S. Capelli and P. Carniti and L. Cassina and M. Clemenza and O. Cremonesi and M. Faverzani and E. Ferri and E. Fossati and A. Giachero and C. Giordano and C. Gotti and M. Maino and B. Margesin and F. Moretti and A. Nucciotti and M. Pavan and G. Pessina and S. Pozzi and E. Previtali and A. Puiu and M. Sisti and F. Terranova},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1603.08049},
year = {2016}
}