Exploring Scintillators and Cherenkov Radiators for MIP Timing Detectors

This article presents the timing performance of materials with fast light emission, testedas Minimum Ionizing Particle detectors using 150 GeV hadron beams in Monte Carlo simulationsand at the CERN SPS North Area. Pixels of cross-section 2 × 2mm2 or 3 × 3mm2 and length of3 or 10 mm were coupled to Hamamatsu SiPM and read out by fast high-frequency electronics.Materials whose timing performance relies on Cherenkov emission, namely BGSO, PWO, andPbF2, achieved time resolutions in the range 24-36 ps. Scintillators as L(Y)SO:Ce, GAGG, andBaF2 reached below 15 ps, the best topping at 12.1 ± 0.4 ps. These fast materials are compared toLYSO and their additional benefit is discussed. Given the promising results of BaF2, the study iscompleted with measurements of the scintillation properties of a set doped with yttrium to quenchthe slow light emission.