Fast polycrystalline CdTe detectors for bunch-by-bunch luminosity monitoring in the LHC

Four luminosity monitors with two rows of five polycrystalline CdTe detectors each have been fabricated and will be installed at both sides of the low-luminosity interaction points ALICE and LHC-b. A detector housing was specially designed to meet the mechanical constraints in the LHC. A series of elementary CdTe detectors were fabricated and tested, of which 40 were selected for the luminosity monitors. A sensitivity of 104 electrons per minimum ionizing particle (MIP) and a pulse width better than 5 ns FWHM have been currently achieved.