Performance of FBK VUV-HD3 and HPK VUV4 SiPMs in the Light-only Liquid Xenon (LoLX) detector

Abstract Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) are a critical technology for the next generation of rare-event search experiments using liquid xenon (LXe). LXe scintillation is emitted primarily in the vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV), requiring photosensors with high VUV detection efficiency under cryogenic operating conditions. Direct characterization of VUV-sensitive SiPMs in LXe is therefore important for informing detector design and comparing device response. This work presents a direct comparison of Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) VUV-HD3 and Hamamatsu (HPK) VUV4 SiPMs operated simultaneously within the Light-only Liquid Xenon (LoLX) detector. Using data collected with gamma sources placed outside the detector, we characterized the relative performance of these photosensors. Our analysis reveals that under these operating conditions, the HPK SiPMs observe 33–38% less light than the FBK devices, a larger difference than predicted by standard PDE models in vacuum measurements. We show that this discrepancy is resolved by an angular and wavelength dependent PDE model incorporating surface shadowing effects into our optical simulation, which then accurately reproduces the experimental data. This finding has significant implications for the selection and implementation of photosensors in future large-scale LXe detectors.