First test of an enriched ¹¹⁶CdWO₄ scintillating bolometer for neutrinoless double-beta-decay searches

For the first time, a cadmium tungstate crystal scintillator enriched in ¹¹⁶Cd has been succesfully tested as a scintillating bolometer. The measurement was performed above ground at a temperature of 18 mK. The crystal mass was 34.5 g and the enrichment level ∝ 82 %. Despite a substantial pile-up effect due to above-ground operation, the detector demonstrated high energy resolution (2-7 keV FWHM in 0.2-2.6 MeV γ energy range and 7.5 keV FWHM at the ¹¹⁶Cd double-beta decay transition energy of 2813 keV), a powerful particle identification capability and a high level of internal radio-purity. These results prove that cadmium tungstate is a promising detector material for a next-generation neutrinoless double-beta decay bolometric experiment, like that proposed in the CUPID project (CUORE Upgrade with Particle IDentification). (orig.)