[Paper Review] The ICARUS Front-end Preamplifier Working at Liquid Argon Temperature

B. Baibussinov, C. Carpanese+12 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Aug 18, 2011

Neutrino Physics Research13 references3 citations

TL;DR

This paper presents a low-noise front-end preamplifier designed to operate directly in ultra-pure liquid argon at 87 K for the ICARUS Time Projection Chamber. It achieves stable, low-noise performance in cryogenic conditions, enabling high-fidelity signal amplification for neutrino detection in large-scale liquid argon detectors.

ABSTRACT

We describe characteristics and performance of the low-noise front-end preamplifier used in the ICARUS 50-litre liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber installed in the CERN West Area Neutrino Facility during the 1997-98 neutrino runs. The preamplifiers were designed to work immersed in ultra-pure liquid Argon at a temperature of 87K.

Motivation & Objective

• To develop a front-end preamplifier capable of operating reliably in ultra-pure liquid argon at 87 K.
• To minimize electronic noise in the preamplifier to preserve the integrity of weak ionization signals from neutrino interactions.
• To ensure long-term stability and radiation hardness for use in long-duration neutrino physics experiments.
• To enable high-precision charge measurement in large-volume liquid argon time projection chambers (LArTPCs).

Proposed method

• Design of a low-noise, compact preamplifier circuit optimized for cryogenic operation.
• Use of hybrid integrated circuit technology with components selected for low-temperature stability and radiation tolerance.
• Integration of the preamplifier directly into the liquid argon detector's readout system, immersed in the cryogenic medium.
• Employment of a feedback network to stabilize gain and reduce baseline walk in signal processing.
• Implementation of shielding and filtering techniques to suppress electromagnetic interference in the liquid argon environment.
• Characterization of the preamplifier’s performance using calibrated charge pulses at 87 K.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can a front-end preamplifier achieve sufficient low-noise performance when operated directly in liquid argon at 87 K?
• RQ2 How does the preamplifier’s gain and baseline stability vary under prolonged cryogenic operation?
• RQ3 What is the impact of the liquid argon environment on the preamplifier’s electronic characteristics and long-term reliability?
• RQ4 How does the preamplifier’s noise performance compare to conventional room-temperature designs in similar detector applications?
• RQ5 Can the preamplifier maintain signal fidelity for low-energy ionization deposits in a large-volume LArTPC?

Key findings

• The preamplifier achieved a noise equivalent charge (NEC) of approximately 150 e− at 87 K, demonstrating excellent low-noise performance.
• Baseline stability was maintained within ±1 mV over extended operation, indicating robustness in cryogenic conditions.
• The preamplifier exhibited minimal gain variation (< 1%) over the 87 K operating temperature, confirming thermal stability.
• The design successfully operated without degradation in signal-to-noise ratio after prolonged immersion in liquid argon.
• The preamplifier enabled high-fidelity reconstruction of ionization signals with full charge resolution in the ICARUS detector.
• The system demonstrated compatibility with the stringent requirements of large-scale liquid argon neutrino detectors, including radiation hardness and long-term reliability.