Development of bolometric light detectors for double beta decay searches

We present the results achieved in the development of bolometric light detectors for double beta searches. A light detector with a considerable large area ( 35 cm 2 ) was constructed and run in a test measurement. A 140 g CdWO 4 crystal was operated as bolometer and the scintillation light was read by the light detector. The excellent results obtained in a long background measurement combined with extreme easy light detector assembly represent the first tangible proof demonstrating the feasibility of this kind of technique.