AUTHOR=Gallin-Martel M. L. , Kim Y. H. , Abbassi L. , Bes A. , Boiano C. , Brambilla S. , Collot J. , Colombi G. , Crozes T. , Curtoni S. , Dauvergne D. , Destouches C. , Donatini F. , Gallin-Martel L. , Ghouini O. , Hostachy J. Y. , Iskra Ł. W. , Jastrzab M. , Kessedjian G. , Köster U. , Lacoste A. , Lyoussi A. , Marcatili S. , Motte J. F. , Muraz J. F. , Nowak T. , Ottaviani L. , Pernot J. , Portier A. , Rahajandraibe W. , Ramdhane M. , Rydygier M. , Sage C. , Tchoualack A. , Tribouilloy L. , Yamouni M. TITLE=Characterization of Diamond and Silicon Carbide Detectors With Fission Fragments JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physics VOLUME=9 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physics/articles/10.3389/fphy.2021.732730 DOI=10.3389/fphy.2021.732730 ISSN=2296-424X ABSTRACT=

Experimental fission studies for reaction physics or nuclear spectroscopy can profit from fast, efficient, and radiation-resistant fission fragment (FF) detectors. When such experiments are performed in-beam in intense thermal neutron beams, additional constraints arise in terms of target-detector interface, beam-induced background, etc. Therefore, wide gap semi-conductor detectors were tested with the aim of developing innovative instrumentation for such applications. The detector characterization was performed with mass- and energy-separated fission fragment beams at the ILL (Institut Laue Langevin) LOHENGRIN spectrometer. Two single crystal diamonds, three polycrystalline and one diamond-on-iridium as well as a silicon carbide detector were characterized as solid state ionization chamber for FF detection. Timing measurements were performed with a 500-µm thick single crystal diamond detector read out by a broadband amplifier. A timing resolution of ∼10.2 ps RMS was obtained for FF with mass A = 98 at 90 MeV kinetic energy. Using a spectroscopic preamplifier developed at INFN-Milano, the energy resolution measured for the same FF was found to be slightly better for a ∼50-µm thin single crystal diamond detector (∼1.4% RMS) than for the 500-µm thick one (∼1.6% RMS), while a value of 3.4% RMS was obtained with the 400-µm silicon carbide detector. The Pulse Height Defect (PHD), which is significant in silicon detectors, was also investigated with the two single crystal diamond detectors. The comparison with results from α and triton measurements enabled us to conclude that PHD leads to ∼50% loss of the initial generated charge carriers for FF. In view of these results, a possible detector configuration and integration for in-beam experiments has been discussed.