https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-15529-y
Regular Article - Experimental Physics
Development of a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber prototype for the RELICS experiment
1
Department of Physics and Center for High Energy Physics, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
2
School of Physics, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275, Guangzhou, China
3
CNNC Sanmen Nuclear Power Company, 317112, Zhejiang, China
4
Sino-French Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, 519082, Zhuhai, China
5
School of Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), 518172, Shenzhen, China
6
School of Physics, Beihang University, 100083, Beijing, China
7
State Key Laboratory of Particle Detection and Electronics, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, China
8
Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, China
9
School of Science, Westlake University, 310030, Hangzhou, China
10
Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Materials and Physics, Beihang University, 100191, Beijing, China
11
Key Laboratory of Particle and Radiation Imaging (Ministry of Education), Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
a
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b
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Received:
25
November
2025
Accepted:
6
March
2026
Published online:
6
April
2026
Abstract
The RELICS (REactor neutrino LIquid xenon Coherent elastic Scattering) experiment aims to detect coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering from reactor antineutrinos using a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber (TPC). To validate the detector concept and ensure technical reliability for the full-scale experiment, a dedicated prototype was designed, constructed, and operated. This work presents an overview of the design, construction, and operational performance of the prototype, with emphasis on its major subsystems, including the TPC, cryogenics and xenon purification systems, slow control, and data acquisition. During operation, the detector demonstrated the capability to achieve a sub-keV energy threshold required for the RELICS physics program, as reflected by a measured single electron gain of (34.30 ± 0.01 (stat.)) PE/e
and the successful detection of 
L-shell decay events from 
. In addition, essential data analysis techniques and simulation frameworks were developed and validated, establishing the technical foundation for future RELICS operations. The successful construction and operation of this prototype confirm the feasibility of the core technologies and provide the experimental basis for the full-scale RELICS detector.
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Now at: Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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© The Author(s) 2026
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Funded by SCOAP3.
