Thanks to its properties, argon is a special element for large apparatus used in searches
for neutrinos. The single/dual phase liquid argon time projection chamber is a wellestablished
technique that has been used by a number of projects since the 1980s. It is
usually complemented by reading the scintillation light of the liquid/gas argon.
The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is...
The DarkSide-20k experiment represents the latest phase of the Global Argon Dark Matter Collaboration, leveraging expertise from previous argon-based detectors. This effort is focused on constructing a dual-phase liquid argon time projection chamber (LAr-TPC) that will deploy 100 tonnes of underground argon outfitted with silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays for precise light detection. This...
The NEXT experiment aims to conduct a sensitive search of the neutrinoless double beta decay ($\beta\beta0\nu$) in $^{136}$Xe, using high-pressure gas electroluminescent time projection chambers (HP-ELTPCs). Two dedicated readout planes, equipped with PMTs and SiPMs, are used to collect the primary and secondary (EL) scintillation light. While the PMTs provide the start time and the total...
LEGEND-1000 is the next-generation, ton-scale experiment searching for neutrinoless double beta decay of germanium (Ge) using p-type, high-purity germanium (Ge) detectors. It is a scaled-up project of LEGEND-200. The experiment will use 1,000 kilograms of germanium detectors enriched to over 90% ⁷⁶Ge.
The experiment has been approved and supported by the relevant agencies and will be...
The CDEX-300 is a next generation neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay experiment based in China Jinping underground laboratory (CJPL). CDEX-300 aims at searching the 0νββ decay of Ge-76 in the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy using high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors. We propose to build a 200 kg scale HPGe array in the liquid argon and achieve 2.5 keV (FWHM) energy resolution and 1E-4...
The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment is a direct detection dark matter experiment that utilises a dual-phase time projection chamber (TPC) with 7 tonnes of active xenon at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. The experiment is primarily designed to detect interactions of dark matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), a well-motivated class of...
Over the past decade, liquid argon (LAr) has been established as a promising target for detecting Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), a leading dark matter candidate, due to its high particle discrimination efficiency, scalability, and intrinsic radiopurity. The Global Argon Dark Matter Collaboration (GADMC) was formed to lead a long-term research program utilizing LAr-based...
The Recoil Directionality project (ReD) within the Global Argon Dark Matter Collaboration characterized the response of a liquid argon (LAr) dual-phase Time Projection Chamber (TPC) to neutron-induced nuclear recoils, to measure the charge yield $Q_y$ at low-energy. The charge yield is a critical parameter for the experiments searching for dark matter in the form of low-mass WIMPs and...
The search for dark matter with liquid argon detectors critically depends on a precise modeling of the ionization response to nuclear recoils. We present a unified analysis of ionization data from the ReD experiment, in combination with existing measurements from DarkSide-50, ARIS, and SCENE. This combined approach allows us to place stronger constraints on electron-ion recombination and...
The measurement of Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CEvNS) cross-sections is crucial for advancing neutrino physics and probing for new phenomena beyond the Standard Model. A major challenge lies in mitigating low-energy backgrounds that mimic the CEvNS signal. Liquid Xenon Time Projection Chambers (LXeTPCs), having demonstrated sub-keV energy sensitivity in dark matter searches,...
The XLZD (XENON-LZ-DARWIN) collaboration is developing the next-generation observatory for dark matter, neutrino and rare-event physics. The detector will use a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber (TPC) with 60 tonnes of active xenon in a volume of approximately 3 meters in both height and diameter.
Xenoscope, at the University of Zurich, is a vertical demonstrator built to address the...
The nature of dark matter remains unknown and its origin is currently one of the most important questions in physics. Direct searches for WIMP dark matter particle interactions with ordinary matter are carried out with large detectors located in underground laboratories to suppress the background of cosmic rays. This talk will introduce the DarkSide-20k detector, now under construction in the...
Within the DarkSide Program, which aims at the direct detection of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), the DarkSide-20k experiment is currently under construction at LNGS. It is based on a next-generation dual-phase liquid argon Time Projection Chamber (TPC). The Proto-0 project, currently running at the DarkMatter facility in Naples (Italy), was designed to demonstrate the viability...
DarkSide-20k is a dark matter search experiment based on a dual-phase liquid argon time projection chamber (LAr TPC), currently under construction at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), Italy. The detector will use 100 tonnes of underground-sourced argon and custom cryogenic silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays for efficient detection of scintillation light within a novel...
Liquid xenon time projection chambers (LXeTPC) own the detection sensitivity of light dark matter and neutrino CEvNS signals due to its ultra-low energy threshold. However, the sensitivity in sub-keV region is significantly limited by the instrument background, specifically delay photons and delay electrons. In this talk, we will present our investigation into the origins of these backgrounds,...
Neutrinos from Supernova 1987A (SN1987A) were fundamental in understanding the formation of a newborn neutron star (NS). From an astrophysical perspective, the importance of these neutrinos is that they allowed us to "see" inside the structure of the NS. Approximately 99% of the energy released after the SN1987A explosion was in the form of neutrinos of all species, with equal probability. To...
Annealing is widely recognized as a key post-deposition thermal treatment for enhancing the performance of thin films by improving their microstructure, morphology, and electrical and optical properties. In this study, we investigate the physical behavior of p-terphenyl thin films deposited on dichroic filters and subjected to annealing processes carried out at fixed durations...
A new concept of GEM-like structures was recently proposed. In this concept, a wavelength-shifting material is deposited inside the holes of GEM-like structures, which can improve the light collection efficiency in Ar-based dual-phase TPCs, solving problems related with the scalability of future dual-phase TPCs.
In this work, we report the newest developments on the production of GEM-like...
The Detector Research and Development for Liquid Detectors (DRD2) Collaboration is a CERN-recognized international initiative, formally established in 2023, aimed at advancing liquid detector technologies. The collaboration currently includes 17 countries and over 200 researchers, with participation continuing to expand. Light Readout is a dedicated Work Package in DRD2 since light detection...
The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a next-generation neutrino physics experiment that will answer some of the most compelling questions in particle physics and cosmology. The DUNE Far Detector (FD) exploits silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) to detect scintillation photons produced by the interaction of charged particles in the liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC). Light...
Cryogenic, vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV)-sensitive silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are being developed for next-generation experiments to search for neutrinoless double beta decay like nEXO. nEXO is a time-projection chamber enriched to 90% Xe-136 designed to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay with a projected half-life sensitivity of 1.35*10^28 years over a 10-year lifespan. Achieving...
Darkside-20k is designed as a dual phase Time Projection Chamber (TPC), relying on light + charge signal readout, to explore the parameter space of WIMP candidates of Dark Matter with an unprecedented sensitivity down to the neutrino fog. The experiment will deploy a total of > 26 m$^2$ area of Silicon Photo-multiplier (SiPMs) as the photon sensitive surface, integrated on the TPC top-bottom...
The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is designed to tackle major open questions in neutrino physics, such as CP violation and neutrino mass ordering, by using large-scale liquid argon time projection chambers (LArTPCs). The Phase II of the project, the Far Detector modules will feature vertical-drift, single-phase LArTPCs with an active volume of 13 m × 13 m × 60 m and dual anode...
Driven by growing astrophysical and cosmological evidence supporting the existence of dark matter (DM), numerous direct detection experiments have been developed to search for particle DM candidates, such as DarkSide, XENON, LZ. The use of noble elements as the target medium are commonly adopted in the field for their intrinsic characteristics, and where vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) scintillation...
DarkSide-20k is a next-generation experiment designed to search for dark matter using a dual-phase liquid-argon time projection chamber (TPC). In DarkSide-20k, more than 500 SiPM-based Photodetector Units (PDUs) will instrument the TPC and its active veto. This talk will focus on the cryogenic validation of those modules, carried out in the dedicated Photodetector Test Facility (PTF) and in...
In the PandaX-4T experiment, R11410 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) account for approximately 47% of the detector’s material-induced electron recoil background, representing a major limitation in background reduction. As future liquid xenon detectors, such as the proposed PandaX-20T with a 20-tonne target, aim to reach sensitivities $3.5×10^{-49} cm^{2}$ at $40 GeV/c^2$ near the irreducible...
The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a next-generation long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. A critical component of the DUNE Near Detector (ND) is a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) called ND-LAr. A novel pixelated charge readout technology, LArPix, has been developed for use in ND-LAr and other LArTPCs. This technology has been implemented in the 2x2...
A portable analyser of the Liquid Argon (LAr) scintillation light (Scintillation Analyser) has been built. It allows to perform fast analysis of the lifetime of the argon triplet excitation state. The system was originally used to monitor the quality of LAr after its purification during filling of the LEGEND-200 cryostat. High purity of the argon (0.1 ppm for water, nitrogen and oxygen) was...
Liquid xenon (LXe) has become a cornerstone medium for rare event detection, including dark matter searches, neutrino physics, and neutrinoless double beta decay experiments. These applications demand ultra-low background environments, where even a trace amount of impurity—such as krypton, radon, or electronegative molecules—can significantly degrade the sensitivity of the detector.
In this...
In recent years, liquid xenon detectors have played a crucial role in dark matter searches and neutrino physics. However, noble gas impurities such as krypton, argon and radon contribute significantly to electron backgrounds in these detectors. The PandaX-4T experiment recently reported its WIMP search results based on a 1.54 tonne-year exposure, where radon accounted for approximately half of...
Dual-phase noble liquid time projection chambers (TPCs) are a leading technology in the direct detection of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), one of the most promising dark matter candidates. In such detectors, the strength and uniformity of both the drift and electroluminescence electric fields are critical for maximizing signal sensitivity and minimizing background.
DarkSide-20k...
We propose a new concept of a liquid xenon time projection chamber (LXeTPC) that combines fast primary scintillation (S1) with ionization-induced electroluminescence (EL) generated in liquid xenon for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging. The design aims to exploit S1 for prompt timing and to use EL as a low-noise optical readout of charge to achieve precise 3D localization and improved...
The 3Dpi scanner is a Total-Body, Time of Flight, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging device with silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) and a xenon-doped Liquid Argon (LAr) scintillator with the aim of ultra-low-dose imaging for pediatric and pregnant patients. The scanner has an axial field-of-view of 200 cm and consists of nine double-sided concentric rings of SiPM panels. The xenon doping...
DArT-in-ArDM: A Dedicated Detector for 39Ar Characterization in Underground Argon
DarkSide-20k, the next-generation dual-phase liquid argon TPC under construction at LNGS, is set to push the boundaries of the global search for WIMP dark matter. A crucial requirement for its success relies on the use of underground argon (UAr) depleted in cosmogenic 39Ar with respect to atmospheric argon (AAr)...
Liquid argon (LAr) has been used in neutrino and dark matter experiments as an active medium thanks to its excellent properties in charge yield and transport as well as its capacity as a scintillator. We will present the preparation of a compact test facility with a volume of 40 ${\it l}$ LAr to fully characterise the response of LAr as a scintillation detector for the LEGEND-1000 experiment....
Modern experiments based on registration of scattering of neutral particles (neutrinos, neutrons, WIMPs, etc.) on ultra-low-background targets of liquid and compressed noble gases require a reduction in the energy threshold for success. This can only be achieved by reducing the natural radioactive background of both the target itself and the detector's structural materials. As the target mass...
ARGO is a proposed liquid argon (LAr) dark matter direct-detection experiment to be built at SNOLAB in the coming decade. It will have leading sensitivity to heavy dark matter particles above 50 GeV/c² and will also provide excellent sensitivity to detect core-collapse supernova neutrinos and make high-precision measurements of solar neutrinos. ARGO will use pixelated digital silicon...
SBND is a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber located 110 m from the neutrino source at Fermilab, serving as the near detector for the Short Baseline Neutrino program. With a 112-ton active mass, it enables high-precision studies of neutrino-argon interactions. The detector began data-taking in 2024. Its Photon Detection System (PDS) combines 120 PMTs and 192 X-ARAPUCA devices behind the...
The Light-only Liquid Xenon (LoLX) experiment operates at McGill University in collaboration with TRIUMF. The experiment uses silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) to examine liquid xenon (LXe) scintillation characteristics for rare physical events searching experiments, such as neutrinoless double beta decay or dark matter. The primary goals are to understand SiPM performance and study LXe...
Large volumes of liquid Argon or Xenon constitute an excellent medium for the detection of Neutrino interactions and for Dark Matter searches. Traditionally, noble liquid detectors use scintillation light for a timing or calorimetric signal, often in combination with a Time Projection Chamber (TPC).
Imaging of scintillation light may offer an alternative to charge collection, enabling a...
The energy threshold of traditional liquid xenon time projection chambers limits our sensitivity in detecting boron-8 neutrinos, light dark matter, and other low-energy signals. Ionization signals have demonstrated significant potential for expanding low-energy detection, but low-energy backgrounds remain the principal barriers to improving sensitivity. In this talk, we present our detailed...
Dual-phase xenon time projection chambers (TPCs), such as the one at the core of the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment, are expected to be well-suited for the search of the neutrinoless double beta decay of $^{136}$Xe. In LZ, this rare-event search is primarily limited by the presence of gamma ray backgrounds in the signal's energy region of interest from the decays of $^{214}$Bi and $^{208}$Tl....
LEGEND-200 is a low-background experiment searching for neutrinoless double beta decay in Ge-76 [[arXiv:2505.10440]][1]. Situated deep underground at LNGS, the experiment is designed to operate 200 kg of enriched high-purity germanium detectors immersed in a liquid argon (LAr) cryostat. Background suppression is enhanced by an optical instrumentation system that detects scintillation light...
LEGEND-200 [[arXiv:2505.10440][1]] is a low-background experiment searching for neutrinoless double beta decay of $^{76}$Ge. Located deep underground at LNGS, it operates up to 200 kg of enriched high-purity germanium detectors immersed in a liquid argon (LAr) cryostat. To reject backgrounds, the LAr is used as an active shield to detect scintillation light produced by interactions with...
Understanding electron transport dynamics in noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe) and their liquid phases (Ar, Kr, Xe) is critical for optimizing particle detector performance. We report the development of a MC tool for electron transport through electron-atom collisions, including elastic scattering, excitation and ionization. n coefficient. For the liquid-phase system, two models are discussed....
Two-phase liquid argon detectors measure ionization signals by detecting electroluminescence light produced by ionization electrons extracted from liquid into gas under a strong electric field. Xenon-doping of argon at the few percent level in the liquid phase populates xenon in the gas phase at the 10s of ppm level, which perpetuates energy transfer from 128 nm Ar2 dimer light to 147 nm and...
The X-ArT (Xenon-Argon Technology) collaboration has studied the scintillation mechanisms in pure and Xe-doped liquid argon (LAr) using silicon photomultipliers sensitive to different wavelength ranges. Thanks to our measurements we identified a long-lived (>10μs) component attributed to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photons emitted by the metastable levels of atomic argon. Based on this...
Liquid xenon time projection chambers (LXe TPCs) exhibit delayed photon and electron signals occurring long after an initial interaction. While they represent a significant background for low-energy searches, the origin of these delayed signals remains not fully understood. We explore the hypothesis that vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) scintillation photons from xenon induce delayed photoluminescence...
We present the development and initial results of an experimental setup designed to measure the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) reflectivity of materials commonly used in argon and xenon-based detectors. The system consists of a monochromator coupled to a sealed black box chamber filled with ultra-pure argon gas. A photosensor mounted on a motorized rotation stage enables angular-resolved...
The increasing size of liquid argon and xenon time projection chambers introduces new challenges related to higher event rates in the active volume. A key concern is pile-up, the overlap of multiple events within the maximum drift time, which can lead to S1–S2 misidentification and increased dead time. We discuss possible mitigation strategies, including optimized event selection and advanced...
Recently, dual-phase xenon detectors have observed indication of solar boron-8 neutrino CEvNS signals, which demonstrates a promising sensitivity of light mass dark matter detection through xenon. One key issue for is to have a precise measurement of the signal response of low energy nuclear recoil in xenon. In this talk, I will discuss the nuclear recoil signal model parameter determination...
Precise knowledge of ionization and scintillation yields at high energies is crucial for liquid xenon detectors, particularly for rare-event searches such as neutrinoless double-beta decay. While low-energy yields are extensively studied, data above 100 keV remain limited. Using XENONnT data and a time-coincidence identification method, we present yield measurements from the clean beta decay...
Liquid noble time proportional chambers (TPCs) are one of the most widely used scintillators in particle detection due to their low cost, high availability, and excellent scintillation properties. Many experiments in the neutrino and dark matter sectors are based on this detection technique. Here, we present a first principles study of the total quanta yield for liquid noble elements and the...
