High efficiency beta-decay spectroscopy using a planar germanium double-sided strip detector

•A planar Ge double-sided strip detector is implemented for decay spectroscopy.•Dual range preamplifiers provide sensitivity to both heavy ions and beta-decay electrons.•Beta-decay electron detection efficiencies greater than 50% are demonstrated.•Based on comparisons with simulation, an efficiency of roughly 90% is expected.

Beta-decay spectroscopy experiments are limited by the detection efficiency of ions and electrons in the experimental setup. While there is a variety of different experimental setups in use for beta-decay spectroscopy, one popular choice is silicon double-sided strip detectors (DSSD). The higher Z of Ge and greater availability of thicker detectors as compared to Si potentially offer dramatic increases in the detection efficiency for beta-decay electrons. In this work, a planar GeDSSD has been commissioned for use in beta-decay spectroscopy experiments at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL). The implantation response of the detector and its beta-decay detection efficiency is discussed.