Measurement of the X-ARAPUCA’s absolute photon detection efficiency for the deep underground neutrino experiment’s vertical drift far detector

The DUNE experiment will implement a photon detection system composed of X-ARAPUCA (XA) devices. These trap incoming VUV photons by internal reflection in a wavelength shifter light guide to be collected onto silicon photomultiplier arrays, sensitive to visible light. In the baseline design, dichroic filters are used to prevent photons from escaping. The configuration proposed for DUNE’s Vertical Drift (VD) (VD) module has been characterised in liquid argon for the first time using dedicated cryogenic setups developed at CIEMAT and INFN Naples. Additionally, several alternative configurations, based on the design optimisation studies of an R&D campaign, have been evaluated. The results show an efficiency of up to (4.5 ± 0.4)% at 4.5 V overvoltage, representing a significant improvement over previous XA implementations. Most notably, configurations without dichroic filters show an improvement of up to 18%, attributed to transmittance losses in the dichroic filters.