Fast timing with SiC detector arrays for high-intensity Radioactive Ion Beam experiments

This contribution discusses the fast timing capabilities of Silicon Carbide (SiC) detectors, specifically conceived for the event-by-event identification of Radioactive Ion Beams (RIBs), also in a high-intensity regime. SiC detectors have proven to be highly suitable for this purpose, offering good timing and energy resolution together with excellent radiation hardness. In recent years, dedicated SiC arrays have been developed for operation at multiple international facilities, including FraISe (Fragment In-flight Separator), currently under construction at INFN-LNS. Coupled with fast front-end electronics, the SiC arrays will enable measurements of RIBs composition, energy and beam profile, while maintaining stable performance in demanding radiation environments. A key requirement of the detector arrays is achieving timing resolutions below 200 ps, allowing ToF-based energy determination with a precision of ≈ 0.5%. This contribution presents a comprehensive study of the timing performance of SiC detectors composed of 2 × 2 pixels, with a total area of 1 cm2 and a thickness of 100 μm. The results are the outcome of several years of R&D and include measurements with radioactive α sources, as well as accelerated proton and α beams. A novel method, based on crossing-time determination and signal-sharing analysis, has been employed to extract the time resolution of individual SiC pixels. A comparative study with a microchannel plate detector, operated in coincidence with the SiC detector, will also be discussed. Furthermore, the preliminary results obtained from a recent experiment carried out at the Heavy Ion Laboratory, University of Warsaw, employing the 12C+12C reaction at 73 MeV incident energy, are discussed. The main goal of the experiment was to extract the timing response of SiC detectors coupled with a fast front-end electronics, employing a kinematic coincidence measurement.