Performance Test and Circuit Simulation for R12699-406-M4 Photomultiplier Tube Base

Abstract: The next-generation liquid xenon experiments like PandaX-xT target an energy range from sub-keV to multi-MeV to address the requirement of multiple physics searches. The Hamamatsu R12699-406-M4 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) were developed and selected as photon sensors for PandaX-xT. Their voltage-divider base is optimized for a broad dynamic range, from single-photoelectron (SPE) sensitivity to 30~nC collected charge (matching the 2.5~MeV Q-value of $^{136}$Xe neutrinoless double beta decay~(NLDBD)). Using a dedicated test bench, we characterize the saturation and suppression responses of R12699-406-M4 PMTs with this base design. Based on measured PMT-base responses, we develop a circuit simulation model that accurately reproduces the physical mechanisms underlying these effects with key parameters tuned via experimental data. The combined simulation and bench-test approach guides base design and optimization, enabling improved detector dynamic range and supporting future saturation and suppression correction studies in data analysis.