Reviewed by Lexie CornerFeb 12 2025
Argonne physicists have modified superconducting nanowire photon detectors to detect high-energy particles with high sensitivity and accuracy. The study was published in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A.
Close-up view of a SNSPD mounted on a printed circuit board inside the cryostat at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility. This device was used in the first successful demonstration of high-energy proton detection using SNSPDs. Image Credit: Sangbaek Lee/Argonne National Laboratory
Particle detectors play a critical role in studying the fundamental components of the universe by allowing researchers to analyze the properties and behavior of particles generated in high-energy collisions. In large accelerators, particles are accelerated to nearly the speed of light before colliding with targets or other particles, where detectors capture and examine the resulting interactions. However, traditional detectors may lack the required sensitivity and precision for certain types of research.
Recent experiments at the DOE’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory’s (Fermilab) Test Beam Facility have led to advancements in high-energy particle detection by researchers at DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory.
Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs), commonly used to detect photons—the fundamental units of light—have been adapted for a new application. These highly sensitive detectors operate at very low temperatures, where the absorption of individual photons causes slight electrical changes in the superconducting nanowires, enabling precise detection and measurement. SNSPDs are already widely used in quantum computing, advanced optical sensing, and quantum cryptography.
In this study, researchers demonstrated that these photon detectors can also function as highly precise particle detectors, particularly for high-energy protons used in particle accelerators. Protons, positively charged particles found in atomic nuclei, are fundamental to nuclear physics research.
The findings present new opportunities for applications in particle and nuclear physics.
This was a first-of-its-kind use of the technology. This step was critical to demonstrate that the technology works the way we want it to because it is typically geared toward photons. It was a key demonstration for future high-impact applications.
Whitney Armstrong, Physicist, Argonne National Laboratory
At Fermilab, the team fabricated SNSPDs with different wire sizes and tested them using a 120 GeV proton beam, one of the few facilities equipped for such experiments. These high-energy protons help scientists simulate the potential operating conditions of SNSPDs in high-energy physics experiments, providing insights into their performance and limitations.
The study found that wire widths below 400 nm—significantly smaller than the width of a human hair (approximately 100,000 nm)—exhibited the high detection efficiency required for high-energy proton sensing. Additionally, a wire size of around 250 nm was identified as optimal for this application.
Due to their sensitivity, precision, and ability to function in high magnetic fields, SNSPDs are well-suited for use in the superconducting magnets that accelerate particles in research facilities. This study represents the first application of SNSPDs for detecting high-energy protons, expanding their potential role in particle detection.
This was a successful technology transfer between quantum sciences, for photon detection, into experimental nuclear physics. We took the photon-sensing device and made slight changes to make it work better in magnetic fields and for particles. And behold, we saw the particles exactly as we expected.
Tomas Polakovic, Physicist, Argonne National Laboratory
The research team utilized the Reactive Ion Etching tool at the Center for Nanoscale Materials, a DOE Office of Science user facility at Argonne.
Contributors to this work include Alan Dibos, Timothy Draher, Nathaniel Pastika, Zein-Eddine Meziani, and Valentine Novosad.
The study was funded by the DOE Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics.
Journal Reference:
Lee, S., et al. (2025) Beam tests of SNSPDs with 120 GeV protons. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A.doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2024.169956