Largely because of their resistance to magnetic fields, silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are being considered as the readout for the GlueX Barrel Calorimeter, a key component of the GlueX detector located immediately inside a 2.2 T superconducting solenoid. SiPMs with active area 1
×1 mm^2 have been investigated for use in other experiments, but detectors with larger active areas are required for the GlueX BCAL. This puts the GlueX collaboration in the unique position of being pioneers in the use of this frontend detection revolution by driving the technology for larger area sensors.
SensL, a photonics research and development company in Ireland, has been collaborating with the University of Regina GlueX group to develop prototype large area
SiPMs comprising 16 - 3×3 mm^2 cells assembled in a close-packed matrix.
Performance parameters of individual SensL 1×1 mm^2 and 3
×3 mm^2 SiPMs along with prototype SensL SiPM arrays are tested, including current versus voltage characteristics, photon detection efficiency, and gain uniformity, in an effort to determine the suitability of these detectors to the GlueX BCAL readout.
