Large-Area TKIDs for Charged Particle Detection

Neutron beta decay, the process by which a free neutron decays into a proton, electron, and antineutrino, is the simplest example of the semi-leptonic weak interaction. Experimentally, it is a powerful way to search for physics beyond the Standard Model. We are investigating a new detector paradigm for charged particle detection that could potentially yield dramatic improvement in sensitivity. The majority of beta decay experiments have traditionally used semiconductor or common scintillation detectors. Investigating low temperature detectors (sub-1K) could inspire a new generation of neutron beta decay experiments. These detectors, including Transition Edge Sensors (TES) and Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKID), have been used in X-ray and gamma spectroscopy as well as dark matter searches and have been shown to have photon energy resolutions on the order of tens of eV or better. They can be multiplexed to create large area detectors with energy resolutions well below ~ 1 keV, which could significantly improve how particle detection is performed for beta decay experiments. This talk reviews our progress in prototyping a large-area thermal kinetic inductance detector (TKID) for charged particle detection.