A large band gap semiconductor as radiator for a Cherenkov detector.*

The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) started operation in May10, 2022, opening a new era for the study of rare isotopes for nuclear science research. Because of the increase in the kinetic energy and the short flight path of some experimental areas, we are investigating a novel Cherenkov detector to complete the MoNA collaboration charged fragments detectors to improve the particle identification process using the Cherenkov effect. This effect occurs when a charged particle goes through a medium with a velocity greater than the speed of light in this medium ). The innovation of this detector is in the use of a large band gap semiconductor material as a radiator (e.g., SiC, GaN, diamond) to generate the Cherenkov light. The choice of this material is conducted in collaboration with materials physicists from the CEMHTI/CNRS research center of Orléans in France, and based on two important parameters: production of the Cherenkov effect and long lifetime of performance addressing its resistance to high levels of radiation. The study involves three components: (i) simulation using SRIM and Geant4 to evaluate the particle concentration depth and defect concentration profiles, (ii) implantation of 2 MeV protons at different fluences, and (iii) irradiations with different particles (⁴⁰Ca, ³²S, ²⁴Mg, ¹⁸O) at high energies (75 MeV/n and 95 MeV/n) to study the radiation damage and self-healing ability (e.g., GaN only). In order to complement and extend the simulation results, additional characterizations such as Raman Spectroscopy, UV-visible, DLTS … provided optical and structural understanding of the materials under the different irradiation conditions. We will present and discuss the results obtained from this study.