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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1981

A new transition radiation detector for cosmic ray nuclei

Test measurements on materials for transition radiation detectors at a low Lorentz factor are reported. The materials will be based on board Spacelab-2 for determining the composition and energy spectra of nuclear cosmic rays in the 1 TeV/nucleon range. The transition radiation detectors consist of a sandwich of radiator-photon detector combinations. The radiators emit X-rays and are composed of polyolefin fibers used with Xe filled multiwired proportional chamber (MWPC) detectors capable of detecting particle Lorentz factors of several hundred. The sizing of the detectors is outlined, noting the requirement of a thickness which provides a maximum ratio of transition radiation to total signal in the chambers. The fiber radiator-MWPC responses were tested at Fermilab and in an electron cyclotron. An increase in transition radiation detection was found as a square power law of Z, and the use of six radiator-MWPC on board the Spacelab-2 is outlined.

Lheureux, J.↗
DOE OSTI2025

PhotonIDs: ML-Powered Photon Identification System for Dark Count Elimination

Reliable single photon detection is the foundation for practical quantum communication and networking. However, today's superconducting nanowire single photon detector(SNSPD) inherently fails to distinguish between genuine photon events and dark counts, leading to degraded fidelity in long-distance quantum communication. In this work, we introduce PhotonIDs, a machine learning-powered photon identification system that is the first end-to-end solution for real-time discrimination between photons and dark count based on full SNSPD readout signal waveform analysis. PhotonIDs ~demonstrates: 1) an FPGA-based high-speed data acquisition platform that selectively captures the full waveform of signal only while filtering out the background data in real time; 2) an efficient signal preprocessing pipeline, and a novel pseudo-position metric that is derived from the physical temporal-spatial features of each detected event; 3) a hybrid machine learning model with near 98% accuracy achieved on photon/dark count classification. Additionally, proposed PhotonIDs ~ is evaluated on the dark count elimination performance with two real-world case studies: (1) 20 km quantum link, and (2) Erbium ion-based photon emission system. Our result demonstrates that PhotonIDs ~could improve more than 31.2 times of signal-noise-ratio~(SNR) on dark count elimination. PhotonIDs ~ marks a step forward in noise-resilient quantum communication infrastructure.

Linne, Karl C. [Chicago U.] (ORCID:000900091870358↗
DOE OSTI2026

Photon calibration techniques for high resolution cryogenic detectors

Monoenergetic photons from a pulsed laser diode or LED are commonly used to calibrate the detector response of high-resolution calorimetric detectors. However, when the detector’s resolution is larger than the energy of a single photon, a calibration is normally derived using Poisson statistics. In this paper, we clarify the assumptions implicit in this calibration method, before considering how a more realistic model of a detector’s performance will violate these assumptions, biasing the calibration. Lastly, we judge the individual impact of specific detector parameters on our calibration, and conclude with discussion of both the limits of our calculations and the implications for state-of-the art detectors.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1987

Photon detection with cooled avalanche photodiodes

Commercial avalanche photodiodes have been operated as single-photon detectors at an optimum operating temperature and bias voltage. These detectors were found to be 1.5-3 times more sensitive than presently available photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). Both single-photon detection probability and detector noise increase with bias voltage; detection probabilities greater than twice that of a PMT were obtained with detector noise levels below 100 counts per second. Higher probabilities were measured at higher noise levels. The sources of noise and their dependence on temperature and bias voltage are discussed.

Robinson, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Super Photon Counters

The perfect photon detector would measure the arrival time, the energy, the polarization, and the position of every arriving quantum, but that is easier said than done. Two groups have now succeeded in doing time-resolved spectroscopy on the Crab Nebula pulsar, measuring everything but the polarization, with reports from Romani et al. at Stanford and from Perryman et al. at ESTEC. Both groups use superconducting detectors to gain the necessary speed and sensitivity. The photon can heat the electrons in a superconductor biased in the middle of its resistive transition, or break bound superconducting electron-hole pairs, which can then be collected. Three years ago, Peacock et al. reported that they had detected single optical photons with a superconducting tunnel junction (STJ), and Paresce wrote a News and Views article. A tunnel junction uses two pieces of conductive material, separated by a tiny gap of insulating material or even vacuum. If the gap is thin enough, electrons can tunnel across anyway, and if the conductors are superconductors, the junction displays very useful quantum mechanical properties and electrical nonlinearities. Amplifiers, detectors, oscillators, and computer circuits can all be made from them. Their special advantage is that they operate at very low temperatures, dissipate very little power, operate very fast, and are very small.

Mather, John↗
NASA NTRS1987

Cooled avalanche photodiode used for photon detection

Commercial avalanche photodiodes have been operated as single-photon detectors at an optimum operating temperature and bias voltage. These detectors were found to be 1.5 to 3 times more sensitive than presently-available photomultiplier tubes (PPMTs). Both single-photon detection probability and detector noise increase with bias voltage; detection probabilities greater than 25 percent were obtained with detector noise levels comparable to the noise of a PMT; higher probabilities were measured at higher noise levels. The sources of noise and their dependence on temperature and bias voltage are discussed.

Robinson, Deborah L.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Single-photon detection using large-scale high-temperature MgB2 sensors at 20 K

Abstract Ultra-fast single-photon detectors with high current density and operating temperature can benefit space and ground applications, including quantum optical communication systems, lightweight cryogenics for space crafts, and medical use. Here we demonstrate magnesium diboride (MgB 2 ) thin-film superconducting microwires capable of single-photon detection at 1.55 μ m optical wavelength. We used helium ions to alter the properties of MgB 2 , resulting in microwire-based detectors exhibiting single-photon sensitivity across a broad temperature range of up to 20 K, and detection efficiency saturation for 1 μ m wide microwires at 3.7 K. Linearity of detection rate vs incident power was preserved up to at least 100 Mcps. Despite the large active area of up to 400 × 400 μ m 2 , the reset time was found to be as low as ~ 1 ns. Our research provides possibilities for breaking the operating temperature limit and maximum single-pixel count rate, expanding the detector area, and raises inquiries about the fundamental mechanisms of single-photon detection in high-critical-temperature superconductors.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Impedance matched superconducting nanowire photodetector for single- and multi-photon detection

Conventional readout of a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) sets an upper bound on the output voltage to be the product of the bias current and the load impedance, IB×Zload, where Zload is limited to 50Ω in standard RF electronics. This limit is broken/exceeded by interfacing the 50Ω load and the SNSPD using an integrated superconducting transmission line taper. The taper is a transformer that effectively loads the SNSPD with high impedance without latching. The taper increases the amplitude of the detector output while preserving the fast rising edge. Using a taper with a starting width of 500 nm, a 3.6× higher pulse amplitude, 3.7× faster slew rate, and 25.1 ps smaller timing jitter was observed. The taper also makes the detector's output voltage sensitive to the number of photon-induced hotspots and enables photon number resolution.

Zhu, Di↗
DOE OSTI2021

Capacitively Coupled LAPPDs with 2D Pixelated Readout Planes for Time of Flight and Ring Imaging Cherenkov Applications

Large Area Picosecond Photon Detectors (LAPPDs) are micro-channel plate based photosensors featuring hundreds of square centimeters of sensitive area in a single package and capable of providing timing resolution on the order of 50 ps for single photon detection. However, LAPPDs currently do not exist in finely pixelated 2D readout configurations which, in addition to ighresolution timing, would also provide high spatial resolution required for Ring Imaging CHerenkov (RICH) detectors. One of the recent LAPPD models (Gen II) provides the opportunity to overcome the lack of pixellation by coupling an external readout to the sealed detector itself. The readout plane in this case is a simple printed circuit board (PCB) that can be laid out in a custom application-specific way for 1D or 2D sensitive area pixellation. This allows for a much shorter readout-plane prototyping cycle and provides unprecedented flexibility in choosing an appropriate segmentation that can be optimized for any particular detector need in terms of pad size, orientation, and shape.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Modeling and Proof-of-Concept of a Blackbody-Based Calibration Method in the InfraBREAD Detector

The Broadband Reflector Experiment for Axion Detection (BREAD) is an ongoing collaboration searching for the conversion of yet undiscovered axion-like dark matter particles to photons in the presence of a magnetic field. InfraBREAD, a pilot experiment realization of BREAD, uses a superconducting nanowire single photon detector (SNSPD), a high-efficiency and low-noise device, to specifically detect infrared-range photons produced by $\mathcal{O}$(eV) axion-like particles. The unique BREAD coaxial reflector setup allows for the focusing of converted signal photons to a 1mm $\times$ 1mm SNSPD. However, when the detector is cooled to cryogenic temperatures during operation, uneven thermal contraction of reflector components may lead to a small shift in the location of the focal spot. A novel calibration method using blackbody radiation is proposed to locate the true focal spot of the detector \textit{in situ}. Through ray tracing simulations done in FRED Optical Engineering Software, this method is demonstrated to locate the focus to within $\SI{50}{\micro\metre}$ in the axial dimension. Additionally, it is demonstrated that the blackbody photon source used in this calibration must be at a temperature of at least $\SI{15}{\kelvin}$ to $\SI{40}{\kelvin}$, depending on the sensitivity of the SNSPD.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Refinement and Modeling of a Blackbody-Based Calibration Method in the InfraBREAD Detector

The Broadband Reflector Experiment for Axion Detection (BREAD) is an ongoing experiment searching for the conversion of yet undiscovered axion-like dark matter particles to photons in the presence of a magnetic field. InfraBREAD, a sub-experiment of BREAD, uses a superconducting nanowire single photon detector (SNSPD), a high-efficiency and low-noise device, to specifically detect infrared-range photons produced by $\mathcal{O}$(eV) axion-like particles. The unique BREAD reflector setup allows for the focusing of all converted signal photons to a 1mm $\times$ 1mm SNSPD. However, when the detector is cooled to cryogenic temperatures during operation, uneven thermal contraction of reflector components may lead to a small shift in the location of the focal spot. A novel calibration method using blackbody radiation is proposed to locate the true focal spot of the detector \textit{in situ}. Through ray tracing simulations done in FRED Optical Engineering Software, this method is demonstrated to locate the focus to within 50 $\mu$m in three dimensions.

Rao, Shardul↗
DOE OSTI2024

Refinement and Modeling of a Blackbody-Based Calibration Method in the InfraBREAD Detector

The Broadband Reflector Experiment for Axion Detection (BREAD) is an ongoing collaboration searching for the conversion of yet undiscovered axion-like dark matter particles to photons in the presence of a magnetic field. InfraBREAD, an experiment of BREAD, uses a superconducting nanowire single photon detector (SNSPD), a high-efficiency and low-noise device, to specifically detect infrared-range photons produced by $\mathcal{O}$(eV) axion-like particles. The unique BREAD reflector setup allows for the focusing of converted signal photons to a 1mm $\times$ 1mm SNSPD. However, when the detector is cooled to cryogenic temperatures during operation, uneven thermal contraction of reflector components may lead to a small shift in the location of the focal spot. A novel calibration method using blackbody radiation is proposed to locate the true focal spot of the detector \textit{in situ}. Through ray tracing simulations done in FRED Optical Engineering Software, this method is demonstrated to locate the focus to within $\SI{50}{\micro\metre}$ in the $z$ dimension.

Rao, Shardul↗
DOE OSTI2022

Future Advances in Photon-Based Neutrino Detectors: A SNOWMASS White Paper

We discuss here new, enabling technologies for future photon-based neutrino detectors. These technologies touch nearly every aspect of such detectors: new scintillating materials, new methods of loading isotopes, new photon sensors and collectors, new approaches to simulation and analysis, and new front-end electronics and DAQ ideas. Of particular interest are technologies that enable broad physics programs in hybrid Cherenkov/scintillation detectors, such as slow fluors, water-based liquid scintillator, and spectral sorting of photons. Several new large-scale detector ideas are also discussed, including hybrid detectors like Theia, ArTEMIS, and generic slow-fluor detectors, as well as the very different SLIPs and LiquidO approaches to instrumenting photon-based detectors. A program of demonstrators for future detectors, including ANNIE, Eos, and NuDOT are also discussed.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Highly excited electron cyclotron for QCD axion and dark-photon detection

We propose using highly excited cyclotron states of a trapped electron to detect meV axion and dark-photon dark matter, marking a significant improvement over our previous proposal and demonstration [One-electron quantum cyclotron as a milli-ev dark-photon detector, .]. When the axion mass matches the cyclotron frequency ω c , the cyclotron state is resonantly excited, with a transition probability proportional to its initial quantum number, n c . The sensitivity is enhanced by taking n c ∼ 10 6 ( 0.1 meV ω c ) 2 . By optimizing key experimental parameters, we minimize the required averaging time for cyclotron detection to t ave ∼ 10 − 6 s, permitting detection of such a highly excited state before its decay. An open–end-cap trap design enables the external photon signal to be directed into the trap, rendering our background-free detector compatible with large focusing cavities, such as the BREAD proposal, while capitalizing on their strong magnetic fields. Furthermore, the axion conversion rate can be coherently enhanced by incorporating layers of dielectrics with alternating refractive indices within the cavity. Collectively, these optimizations enable us to probe the QCD axion parameter space from 0.1 to 2.3 meV (25–560 GHz), covering a substantial portion of the predicted postinflationary QCD axion mass range. This sensitivity corresponds to probing the kinetic mixing parameter of the dark photon down to ε ≈ 2 × 10 − 16 . Published by the American Physical Society 2025

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Focusing Optics for Axion Detection: Simulating Sensing Enhancements of Photons in InfraBREAD

The Broadband Reflector Experiment for Axion Detection (BREAD) will search for axions, a promising particle candidate for dark matter, in the high mass range of [$10^{-3}$,1]eV. BREAD acts like a telescope for dark matter, using a parabolic reflector to direct axion-induced photons onto a precise focal spot. InfraBREAD is the experimental version designed to detect photons resulting from axions with infrared frequency using a 1mm × 1mm Superconducting Nanowire Singe Photon Detector (SNSPD). However, at this frequency scale two problems arise: 1) the focal spot becomes smeared across an area larger than the size of the SNSPD detector; 2) any millimeter-scale misalignment shifts in the SNSPD can greatly diminish photon signal. This study performed simulations of novel optical configurations of lenses and reflectors placed around the SNSPD to achieve a greater efficiency than the SNSPD alone through both of these effects. One optical setup was identified called the “Parabolo id to Winston Cone (PTW) Configuration,” which exploits the optics of parabolic reflectors to focus incoming photons from the larger area of the smeared focal spot onto the smaller 1mm 2 area of the detector. The PTW configuration demonstrated overall improvements in efficiency by around 10% through misalignment shifts, with a maximal improvement of 55% in one region.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Develop BNNT based cryopumps and detectors

Jefferson Lab Tasks to include period for performance of each task: 1. Design and fabricate initial test apparatus for cryosorber capacity comparison (month 0-3), 2. Test cryosorption capacity of BNNT materials (month 3-9) and alternate materials, 3. Design and fabricate cryopump modifications to accommodate BNNT material (month 9-15), 4. Provide suitable cryopump, electronics and vacuum instrumentation for the cryopump (month 12-18), and 5. Perform testing of BNNT modified cryopump at UHV-XHV pressure range (month 15-24). Modification 1: 6. Design initial detector test apparatus that incorporates BNNT material (months 0-1), 7. Provide photon detector as needed for tests (months 1-12), and 8. Perform tests (months 1-12). BNNT, LLC to 9. Provide Fibril BNNT™ for evaluation and cryopump (month 3-9), 10. Fabricate portions of modifications for cryopump (month 9-15), 11. Integrate Fibril BNNT™ into the cryopump (month 9-15), and 12. Perform regular vacuum testing of the cryopump (month 12-15). Modification 1: 13. Construct BNNT portions of detector test apparatus (months 0-2), 14. Provide BNNT material for detector tests (months 0-9), and 15. Assist in detector tests (months 1-12).

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS2018

Deep Space Relay Terminals for Mars Superior Conjunction

The Sun periodically blocks direct communication between the Earth and Mars, creating a need for a relay when missions have a critical need for communication during these times. We examined several approaches based on optical or radio-frequency relays placed in deep space between the Earth and Mars, exploring multiple possible placements of relays, including periodic orbits in the Sun-Earth and Sun-Mars rotating frames, and eccentric, sun-centered orbits. L4 and L5 long-period orbits in the sun-Mars system provide suitable communications geometry continuously for very long durations. In such an orbit, a deep space relay terminal with two 50 cm optical telescopes and two 75 cm Ka-band dish antennas, along with associated receivers and transmitters, would be capable of supporting Mars superior conjunctions with an optical data rate of 28 to 44 Mbps for return links, and 30-36 Mbps in the forward direction. The relay should use efficient, low-noise optical detectors, such as appropriately cooled Avalanche Photo Diode or Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detectors, to achieve these data rates. The single relay discussed in this study might have additional value beyond communications, providing a synergistic platform for solar observation, solar wind observation, gravitational studies, the search for near-earth asteroids, or a navigational beacon.

Lau, Chi-Wung↗
NASA NTRS2019

Real Time Photon-Counting Receiver for High Photon Efficiency Optical Communications

We present a scalable design for a photon-counting ground receiver based on superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) and field programmable gate array (FPGA) real-time processing for applications to space-to-ground photon starved links, such as the Orion EM-2 Optical Communication Demonstration (O2O), and future deep space or low transmitter power missions. The receiver is designed to receive a serially concatenated pulse position modulation (SCPPM) waveform, which follows the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) Optical Communications Coding and Synchronization Red Book standard. The receiver design uses multiple individually fiber coupled, 80% detection efficiency commercial SNSPDs in parallel to scale to a required data rate, and is capable of achieving data rates up to 528 Mbps. For efficient fiber coupling from the telescope to the array of parallel detectors that can be scaled both to telescope aperture size and the number of detectors, we use either a single mode fiber (SMF) photonic lantern or a few-mode fiber (FMF) photonic lantern. In this paper we give an overview of the receiver system design, the characteristics of the photonic lanterns, the performance of the SNSPDs, and system level tests. We show that 40 Mbps can be received using a single SNSPD, and discuss aspects for scaling to higher data rates.

Vyhnalek, Brian E.↗