Characterization of large band gap semiconductors for a Cherenkov radiator at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams

The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) started operation in May 2022, opening a new era for the study of rare isotopes for nuclear science research. Some of the experimental areas will have a short flight path to separate some of the reactions products, namely the charged fragments. We are investigating the development and performance of a novel Cherenkov detector using a large band gap semiconductor as a radiator for the MoNA Collaboration to complement the list of ancillary detectors to improve the particle identification process. The characterization of various semiconductors (Diamond, SiC and GaN) is performed by materials physicists from the CEMHTI/CNRS research center of Orleans in France. The study involves the implantation at 2 MeV protons at different fluences (10¹² ions/cm² through 10¹⁷ ions/cm²) and the use of two simulation tools, SRIM and Geant4, to evaluate the hydrogen concentration depth and defect concentration profiles. In order to complement and extend the simulation results, characterizations using Raman Spectroscopy, UV-visible [list the other techniques] provided structural understanding of the materials under the different fluences and absorption spectra to identify an appropriate candidate. We will present and discuss the results obtained from this study.