Background-free search for neutrinoless double-β decay of 76Ge with GERDA

Many extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics explain the dominance of matter over antimatter in our Universe by neutrinos being their own antiparticles. This would imply the existence of neutrinoless double-β decay, which is an extremely rare lepton-number-violating radioactive decay process whose detection requires the utmost background suppression. Among the programmes that aim to detect this decay, the GERDA Collaboration is searching for neutrinoless double-β decay of 76Ge by operating bare detectors, made of germanium with an enriched 76Ge fraction, in liquid argon. After having completed Phase I of data taking, we have recently launched Phase II. Here we report that in GERDA Phase II we have achieved a background level of approximately 10−3 counts keV−1 kg−1 yr−1. This implies that the experiment is background-free, even when increasing the exposure up to design level. This is achieved by use of an active veto system, superior germanium detector energy resolution and improved background recognition of our new detectors. No signal of neutrinoless double-β decay was found when Phase I and Phase II data were combined, and we deduce a lower-limit half-life of 5.3 × 1025 years at the 90 per cent confidence level. Our half-life sensitivity of 4.0 × 1025 years is competitive with the best experiments that use a substantially larger isotope mass. The potential of an essentially background-free search for neutrinoless double-β decay will facilitate a larger germanium experiment with sensitivity levels that will bring us closer to clarifying whether neutrinos are their own antiparticles. If neutrinos are their own antiparticles, neutrinoless double-β decay of 76Ge should occur; a new lower-limit half-life of 5 × 1025 years for this process has now been determined under background-free conditions. The nature of neutrinos is one of the most puzzling aspects of particle physics. Most extensions of the Standard Model assume neutrinos to be their own antiparticles, known as Majorana fermions, in which case a very rare, and as yet undetected, radioactive decay called neutrinoless double-β decay should exist. To find a rare decay or to put more stringent limits on its existence, it is crucial to suppress background events. Here, the GERDA Collaboration reports a search for neutrinoless double-β decay in 35.6 kilograms of germanium-76. Via a clever vetoing system, the team make their search essentially background-free—a long-awaited accomplishment in the field. They determine a lower limit on the half-life of this decay of 5.3 × 1025 years. Their background suppression techniques should enable a background-free search up to a half-life sensitivity of around 1027 years in the near future.