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Development of Advanced, Radiation Resistant, Optical-based Detector Technology for Future Experiments.

The primary objective of this project has been to advance the design of high-performance electromagnetic (EM) calorimeters for future particle physics experiments, to identify and measure the timing, position and energy of electrons, positrons and gamma rays, particularly in high-luminosity environments with intense radiation and pileup conditions. To meet such challenges, the proposed research has focused on the development of ultra-compact, radiation-hard calorimeter modules, to provide excellent timing, spatial, and energy resolution. The work aligns with the DOE’s Basic Research Needs (BRN) for High Energy Physics (HEP) Instrumentation and the research team contributes actively to the Coordinating Panel on Advanced Detectors (CPAD) RDC9 calorimetry collaboration in the USA and the European Committee on Future Accelerators (ECFA) DRD-CALO calorimetry collaboration at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics located in Geneva, Switzerland. The research builds on the RADiCAL (radiation-hard, ultra-compact) modular sampling calorimeter approach, developed by the research team, which employs dense and very bright optical materials such as LYSO:Ce scintillator plates that are interleaved with very dense tungsten plates to minimize detector size while optimizing performance. The modules are comparable in size to a human index finger, dimensionally 14 mm x 14 mm in cross section and 135 mm in length. And despite the small size, the structure is capable of providing excellent timing and energy resolution. This is facilitated through the use of specialized quartz capillaries filled with wavelength-shifting filaments, positioned at various depths along the length of a module, to collect and guide light signals to silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) which detect and convert the optical signals to electronic signals for analysis. The primary goals of this project have been: (1) Achieve a timing resolution to σ t ≤ 30 ps for high-energy electrons and photons, important for their association with specific events produced in colliding-beam experiments and for the detection of decays-in-flight of long-lived particles. The project has achieved this goal in beam tests of a single RADiCAL module at CERN, during which a timing resolution of σ t = 27 ps was measured for electrons of energy E = 150 GeV. Based upon a mathematical fit to the data measured over a broad energy range from low energy to high energy, a resolution of σ t ≤ 18 ps has been estimated for electrons of very high (TeV) energy. From these measurements and with further expected technical improvements, the timing resolution should reach σ t ≤ 10 ps, important for searches for discovery physics in upcoming and future experiments. (2) Achieve an energy resolution of σ E / E ≤ 10% / $\sqrt{E}$. The project has yet to achieve this goal, but is close to it, having measured a value of σ E / E ≤ 15.9% / $\sqrt{E}$ using a modular array. Ultimately, the resolution goal is expected to be reached by adjustments to material thicknesses within the modules, which will improve the sampling fraction to measure more precisely the shower energy for lower energy particles. The versatility of the modular RADiCAL approach enables the testing of advanced materials, photosensors and electronics, developed in collaboration with CPAD RDC and ECFA DRD-CALO groups. The structure can distinguish electrons, positrons and gamma rays from hadrons and muons and beam-induced backgrounds, making it a valuable tool in a variety of detector environments, including future circular colliders (FCC-ee, FCC-hh) proposed for the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), the muon-collider proposed for Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), and searches for new physics in beam-dump, fixed target and forward-physics experiments. And, while designed with particle physics applications in mind, the technologies developed in this project have the potential for application more broadly in particle and nuclear physics, materials science, and medical physics, underscoring the far-reaching potential of this line of instrumentation research and development.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION

Rapid Inference of Logic Gate Neural Networks for Anomaly Detection in High Energy Physics

The increasing data rates and complexity of detectors at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) necessitate fast and efficient machine learning models, particularly for rapid selection of what data to store, known as triggering. Building on recent work in differentiable logic gates, we present a public implementation of a Convolutional Differentiable Logic Gate Neural Network (CLGN). We apply this to detecting anomalies at the Level-1 Trigger at CMS using public data from the CICADA project. We demonstrate that the CLGN achieves physics performance on par with or superior to conventional quantized neural networks. We also synthesize an LGN for a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and show highly promising FPGA characteristics, notably zero Digital Signal Processor (DSP) resource usage. This work highlights the potential of logic gate networks for high-speed, on-detector inference in High Energy Physics and beyond.

FOS: Physical sciences

Impact of proton irradiation on 4H-SiC Low Gain Avalanche Detectors (LGADs)

Silicon carbide (SiC) particle detectors have the potential to provide time resolutions and robust performance in extreme environments which exceed that of silicon detectors. In this work 4H-SiC low gain avalanche detectors (LGADs) and complementary PiN diodes were irradiated with 2.5 GeV protons at fluences up to 3.33 × 10 14 p/cm 2 . The electrostatic performance of both irradiated and non-irradiated devices was evaluated using I-V and C-V measurements. Moreover, charge collection measurements using α particles were also conducted. SiC LGADs displayed a loss in rectification, high ON-state resistances >10 10 Ω-cm 2 , and the complete removal of gain when exposed to the highest proton fluence. Additionally, the reductions in capacitance and OFF-state current pointed to compensation of the gain layer as a gain reducing mechanism. The introduction of radiation-induced defects also hinders carrier acceleration, which reduces impact ionization and further gain reduction. LGADs exposed to a fluence of 1 × 10 14 p/cm 2 experienced a partial recovery in gain (originally having a value of ∼ 2) with a value of ∼ 1.65 when applying a bias of 500 V. Charge trapping was also seen in the reduction of charge collection efficiency (CCE) to ∼ 65% for the PiN diode. However, despite the reduction in device performance, the demonstration of a measurable signal after irradiation points to the potential of SiC LGAD detectors for future high energy physics applications.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS

Improving unfolding and systematic uncertainty estimation using generative diffusion networks (Final Technical Report)

This final technical report summarizes the key accomplishments on the unfolding using diffusion model project, a DOE award received by PI Pierre-Hugues Beauchemin at Tufts University. This project main goal was to investigate the potential of diffusion models for unfolding experimental High Energy Physics data from detector effects while controlling systematics uncertainties. The project accomplished its goals by completing the following objectives: 1) Performing an object-by-object, event-by-event unfolding of various kinematic distributions reconstructed from detector data in HEP in a way that keeps correlations between unfolded observables while demonstrating competitive performance compared to standard algorithms used in the field; 2) Address the generalization problem by developing an unfolding algorithm capable to correctly infer the underlying distributions of observables and processes never seen before, while controlling the dominant theoretical uncertainties affecting the process, therefore increasing the effectiveness, the precision, and the applicability of the developed algorithm; 3) Understand the theoretical foundations between the developed algorithm so to extend it to applications beyond experimental HEP, for broader benefits to the society. This report provides an overview of the accomplishments related to each of these key objectives.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS

Photocathode characterisation for robust PICOSEC Micromegas precise-timing detectors

The PICOSEC Micromegas detector is a precise-timing gaseous detector based on a Cherenkov radiator coupled with a semi-transparent photocathode and a Micromegas amplifying structure, targeting a time resolution of tens of picoseconds for minimum ionising particles. Initial single-pad prototypes have demonstrated a time resolution below σ = 25 ps, prompting ongoing developments to adapt the concept for High Energy Physics applications, where sub-nanosecond precision is essential for event separation, improved track reconstruction and particle identification. The achieved performance is being transferred to robust multi-channel detector modules suitable for large-area detection systems requiring excellent timing precision. To enhance the robustness and stability of the PICOSEC Micromegas detector, research on robust carbon-based photocathodes, including Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) and Boron Carbide (B 4 C), is pursued. Results from prototypes equipped with DLC and B 4 C photocathodes exhibited a time resolution of σ ≈ 32 ps and σ ≈ 34.5 ps, respectively. Efforts dedicated to improve detector robustness and stability enhance the feasibility of the PICOSEC Micromegas concept for large experiments, ensuring sustained performance while maintaining excellent timing precision.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND

Evaluation of a deuterated detector for gamma-ray beam intensity measurements

Laser-Compton scattering sources of quasi-monochromatic γ-ray beams have been in operation for over 30 years, with new facilities being under construction or proposed. To sustain a high-quality experimental physics program, continuous monitoring of these beams is essential by measuring the spectral, temporal, and spatial characteristics. In this work, we introduce a new method for determining the γ-ray beam intensity by using photodisintegration of deuterons in an active target detector approach. Measurements were performed using deuterated liquid scintillator detectors at several incident gamma energies between 4 and 13 MeV at the High Intensity γ-ray Source, Durham, USA. The results demonstrate that an instrument based on a deuterated active detector can be used to monitor the intensity of the γ-ray beam with high efficiency and operational simplicity.

Compton scattering

Flavor Classification in ICARUS Using Convolutional Visual Networks

In this work, we adapt the Convolutional Visual Network (CVN) approach [1] to the ICARUS detector by incorporating TPC stitching methods inspired by NuGraph[8]. The stitching technique used here is unique to ICARUS, designed specifically to handle its distinct detector segmentations. We then retrain the network using ICARUS-specific data. This study underscores the flexibility of deep learning models in high-energy physics and the importance of accounting for detector-specific features when transferring machine learning techniques between experiments. This poster presents the methods, classification performance, and insights gained from applying CVN to ICARUS data.

Wieler, Felipe [Tech. Fed. Parana U.]

Neutrino Flavor Classification in ICARUS Experiment Using Convolutional Visual Networks

In this work, I adapt the Convolutional Visual Network (CVN) approach to the ICARUS detector by incorporating TPC stitching methods inspired by NuGraph. The stitching technique used here is unique to ICARUS, designed specifically to handle its distinct detector segmentation s. I then retrain the network using ICARUS-specific data. This study underscores the flexibility of deep learning models in high-energy physics and the importance of accounting for detector-specific features when transferring machine learning techniques between experiments. This dissertation presents the methods, classification performance, and insights gained from applying CVN to ICARUS data.

Wieler, Felipe Andre [Parana Tech. Fed. U., Toledo

Summer 2025 SULI: Nucleus ID, TinyTPC, and Scientific Communication

This paper summarizes my work during the Summer 2025 SULI internship, which focused on two main projects and broader scientific development. The first project involved improving the particle identification (PID) of protons, deuterons, and tritons using PIDA distributions and template fitting, with the goal of modeling nuclear final-state interactions (FSI) and testing the robustness of the method against systematic uncertainties. These techniques pave the way for future application to LArTPC data from the ICARUS detector. The second project centered on the optimization and data-taking of the TinyTPC detector, a compact LArTPC used for high-resolution low-energy measurements. I adjusted gain and threshold parameters, performed hardware validation tests, and developed analysis strategies to extract meaningful physics from collected data. Throughout the summer, I also enhanced my scientific communication and mentorship skills through presentations, collaborative analysis, and peer guidance.

McCright, Hannah [Maryland U.]

DC Cryogenic Modeling of Open-Source SkyWater 130 nm MOSFETs at 77 K Using BSIM4

Cryogenic applications in high-energy physics (HEP) demand reliable, low-power CMOS electronics capable of operating at liquid nitrogen temperatures (77 K). The open-source SkyWater 130nm (SKY130) CMOS process has previously been shown to operate at temperatures as low as 4 K making it a promising candidate for HEP applications. In this work, we characterize and model SKY130 low-threshold voltage transistors at 77 K, which is a temperature commonly used in modeling applications for liquid argon detectors. DC characteristic measurements were performed at both room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature. We created a cryogenic modeling approach to produce a SPICE-compatible, isothermal BSIM4-based model for select transistor sizes at 77 K. The resulting model agrees with data at 77 K with an average error on the order of 20% (relative RMS) and shows no dependence on drain voltage. Due to the open-source nature of SKY130, we have made our models publicly available on Github. We hope this work will continue the trend for democratizing circuit design at cryogenic temperatures in high-energy physics by enabling open access to accurate cryogenic CMOS device models at 77 K.

Beall, F. [Texas U., Arlington]

Design and simulation of a SiPM-on-tile ZDC for the future EIC, and its performance with graph neural networks

We present a design for a high-granularity zero-degree calorimeter (ZDC) for the upcoming Electron-Ion Collider (EIC). The design uses SiPM-on-tile technology and features a novel staggered-layer arrangement that improves spatial resolution. To fully leverage the design’s high granularity and non-trivial geometry, we employ graph neural networks (GNNs) for energy and angle regression as well as signal classification. The GNN-boosted performance metrics meet, and in some cases, significantly surpass the requirements set in the report on science requirements and detector requirements for the EIC (Yellow Report), laying the groundwork for enhanced measurements that will facilitate a wide physics program. Our studies show that GNNs can significantly enhance the performance of high-granularity CALICE-style calorimeters by automating and optimizing the software compensation algorithms required for these systems. This improvement holds true even in the case of complicated geometries that pose challenges for image-based AI/ML methods.

Calorimeter

The Jefferson Lab Eta Factory Experiment and Applications of PbWO4 Calorimeters in Future Experimental Facilities

The goal of the new JLab Eta Factory (JEF) experiment, conducted with the GlueX detector in Hall D at Jefferson Lab, is to perform measurements of various ¿(') decays with a primary focus on rare neutral modes. The experiment’s physics program ranges from precision tests of low-energy QCD to searches for gauge bosons with masses below 1 GeV that could couple the Standard Model (SM) sector to the dark sector. The experiment will collect a high-statistics data sample of ¿(') mesons produced via a beam of tagged photons. The GlueX detector features a large, nearly uniform acceptance for both neutral and charged particles, enabling efficient identification of complex multi-particle final states. To meet the requirements of the JEF experiment, the inner section of the forward lead-glass calorimeter in the GlueX detector has been upgraded with lead tungstate (PbWO4) scintillating crystals. PbWO4 offers exceptional characteristics, such as a small radiation length and Molire radius, and large light yield, that make it ideal for constructing high- granularity, high-resolution, radiation-hard detectors. These properties enable excellent spatial separation and energy resolution of reconstructed electromagnetic showers, establishing PbWO4 as the material of choice for many high-precision experiments. The JEF experiment began data collection in April 2025 and will operate concurrently with the GlueX experiment, whose primary objective is the search for gluonic excitations in the meson spectrum. I will give an overview of the JEF experiment, the GlueX detector, and the feasibility of further upgrades to support future ¿ physics studies. Special attention will be given to the newly constructed PbWO4 scintillating calorimeter and recent advancements in calorimeter instrumentation.

Somov, Alexander

Quantum information meets high-energy physics: input to the update of the European strategy for particle physics

Some of the most astonishing and prominent properties of Quantum Mechanics, such as entanglement and Bell nonlocality, have only been studied extensively in dedicated low-energy laboratory setups. The feasibility of these studies in the high-energy regime explored by particle colliders was only recently shown and has gathered the attention of the scientific community. For the range of particles and fundamental interactions involved, particle colliders provide a novel environment where quantum information theory can be probed, with energies exceeding by about 12 orders of magnitude those employed in dedicated laboratory setups. Furthermore, collider detectors have inherent advantages in performing certain quantum information measurements and allow for the reconstruction of the state of the system under consideration via quantum state tomography. Here, we elaborate on the potential, challenges, and goals of this innovative and rapidly evolving line of research and discuss its expected impact on both quantum information theory and high-energy physics.

Physics

Forward modeling approach to nuclear reaction cross sections: Applications in neutron inelastic scattering

The development of nuclear reaction models for the production of evaluated nuclear data has traditionally been performed by comparing measured cross sections with predictions from reaction model codes whose physical input parameters are adjusted to obtain the best agreement between measured and modeled results. To more directly probe reaction model inputs, this work introduces a forward modeling approach to experimental reaction cross-section determination, where the most important physical input parameters to reaction model calculations are obtained via 𝜒 2 minimization between measured and calculated observables. This was demonstrated using data collected by the Gamma Energy Neutron Energy Spectrometer for Inelastic Scattering (GENESIS) at the 88-inch cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a detection array consisting of organic liquid scintillators and high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors. Using a broad-spectrum neutron beam and a 99.98%-enriched 56 Fe target, GENESIS was used to perform a simultaneous measurement of 56 Fe 𝛾-ray production cross sections and secondary neutron energy and angle distributions. The results of the forward modeling approach to the determination of energy-differential 𝛾-ray production cross sections for the yrast 4 + → 2 + and 6 + → 4 + transitions, as well as eight other off-yrast transitions, were compared against those obtained using conventional techniques, and the results are in good agreement. In addition to discrete 𝛾-ray yield total scattered neutron energy-angular distributions as a function of incident neutron energy were also obtained using forward modeling and found to agree with evaluated data, with the exception of elastic scattering at small angles. The fitted reaction model parameters obtained through forward modeling were also used to calculate the cross section for the unobserved (𝑛, 2⁢𝑛) reaction; excellent agreement with the current evaluation was obtained, providing a validation of the predictive capabilities of the forward model approach. This work bridges the gap between nuclear data experiment and evaluation by providing a new means for extracting inelastic neutron-scattering cross sections and neutron-induced 𝛾-ray production data while directly probing reaction model physics.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS

Graph neural network for neutrino physics event reconstruction

Liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) detector technology offers a wealth of high-resolution information on particle interactions, and leveraging that information to its full potential requires sophisticated automated reconstruction techniques. Here, this article describes NUGRAPH 2, a graph neural network for low-level reconstruction of simulated neutrino interactions in a LArTPC detector. Simulated neutrino interactions in the MicroBooNE detector geometry are described as heterogeneous graphs, with energy depositions on each detector plane forming nodes on planar subgraphs. The network utilizes a multihead attention message-passing mechanism to perform background filtering and semantic labeling on these graph nodes, identifying those associated with the primary physics interaction with 98.0% efficiency and labeling them according to particle type with 94.9% efficiency. The network operates directly on detector observables across multiple two-dimensional representations but utilizes a three-dimensional-context-aware mechanism to encourage consistency between these representations. Model inference takes 0.12 s / event on a CPU and 0.005 s / event batched on a GPU. This architecture is designed to be a general-purpose solution for particle reconstruction in neutrino physics, with the potential for deployment across a broad range of detector technologies, and offers a core convolution engine that can be leveraged for a variety of tasks beyond the two described in this paper.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS

Artificial Intelligence for Event Reconstruction and Higgs Physics at CMS and Future Colliders

This dissertation charts a trajectory in which advances in artificial intelligence (AI) play a central role in pushing the high-energy physics frontier, complementing progress driven by higher collision energies and larger colliders. The discovery potential of the LHC and future colliders relies on accurate reconstruction of increasingly complex particle collision events. In the CMS experiment, this task is performed by the particle-flow (PF) algorithm. This dissertation presents the first implementation of a machine-learning-based particle-flow (MLPF) reconstruction in the CMS detector based on transformer architectures. In simulated top quark--antiquark pair (ttbar) events under LHC Run~3 (2023--2024) conditions, MLPF improves jet energy resolution by 10--20\% compared to standard PF for jets with transverse momentum between 30--100\GeV. Runtime performance is evaluated using simulated multijet events, with a median inference time of 20\unit{ms} per event on an NVIDIA L4 GPU, compa red to approximately 110\unit{ms} for standard PF. The MLPF algorithm is also validated on Run~3 collision data, representing the first data-validated ML-based reconstruction pipeline at any LHC experiment. We then extend MLPF toward future electron--positron colliders and introduce the first full-simulation cross-detector transfer learning workflow for PF reconstruction. The model is pre-trained on simulated events from the Compact Linear Collider detector (CLICdet) and fine-tuned on the CLIC-like detector (CLD) proposed for the Future Circular Collider (FCC). This approach achieves up to a 40\% improvement in jet energy resolution over rule-based reconstruction while reducing the required training dataset size by an order of magnitude, demonstrating the potential of AI to accelerate detector development and optimization. This dissertation also demonstrates how modern AI techniques enhance the sensitivity of LHC physics analyses. A CMS search for highly Lorentz-boosted Higgs bosons decaying to \textrm{W} boson pairs is presented, focusing on the single-lepton final state. A dedicated fine-tuning strategy for \ParT yields an approximately 70\% increase in expected sensitivity relative to the baseline model. The analysis uses proton--proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of \ensuremath{\sqrt{s}=13\TeV} collected by CMS between 2016 and 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138\ensuremath{\ \mathrm{fb}^{-1}}. The expected significance of the search is $1.86\sigma$, with an observed signal strength of $-0.19^{+0.48}_{-0.46}$. Finally, explainable AI techniques are applied to the MLPF and \ParticleNet algorithms using layerwise relevance propagation, showing that both models base their predictions on physically meaningful features consistent with our physics intuition. Together, these results demonstrate how advanced AI methods can enhance reconstruction, analysis sensitivity, and interpretability, shaping the next era of experimental parti cle physics.

Mokhtar, Farouk [UC, San Diego]

Numerical Investigation of Fluid Flow and Space Charge in Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) Detectors

Overview This project focused on developing a high-fidelity numerical framework to simulate the multiphysics environment within Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) detectors. The primary objective was to characterize the complex interplay between ion transport, background fluid dynamics, and electric field distortions—a critical factor for the calibration and sensitivity of next-generation High Energy Physics experiments, such as DUNE. Technical Achievements The research successfully yielded a hybrid numerical space-charge solver utilizing a Cell-Centered Finite Volume Method (FVM) for ion transport coupled with a Finite Element Method (FEM) for electric potential. Key accomplishments include: • Verification & Validation: The 3-D solver was rigorously verified against 1-D analytical solutions, demonstrating high numerical accuracy in predicting space-charge-induced field deviations. • Field Distortion Analysis: 3D simulations revealed that space charge effects introduce significant non-uniformities in the electric field. Critically, the research identified that background LAr flow velocities, when comparable to ion drift velocities, markedly exacerbate these distortions. • Technology Transfer: The resulting source code and comprehensive user manuals were successfully transferred to collaborators at Fermilab, providing a portable computational tool for the broader scientific community. Challenges and Future Directions While the space-charge solver achieved all performance metrics, the integrated fluid dynamics modeling encountered convergence challenges stemming from the extreme 200-fold disparity in length scales between the detector's 37 mm inlet pipes and the 8-meter global domain. To address this, the project has identified a clear technical pivot toward Hierarchical Geometric Adaptive Mesh Refinement (HG-AMR). By implementing an h-type refinement strategy with hanging nodes, future iterations of this solver will be capable of resolving localized high-gradient inlet flows without the prohibitive computational costs of regular grids. This advancement, combined with data-driven uncertainty quantification based on MicroBooNE-style calibration, will enable the precise modeling of detector responses in large-scale cryogenic environments where direct measurement remains difficult. Impact The computational tools developed under this award provide a foundation for enhancing the energy resolution and spatial reconstruction of noble liquid detectors. By bridging the gap between theoretical fluid dynamics and experimental field calibration, this work supports the DOE’s mission to advance the frontiers of neutrino physics and dark matter detection.

42 ENGINEERING

Beam Tests of the Balloon-Borne ATIC Experiment

The Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC) balloon-borne experiment is designed to perform cosmic-ray elemental spectra measurement from 50 GeV to 100 TeV for nuclei from hydrogen to iron. These measurements are expected to provide crucial hints about some of the most fundamental questions in astroparticle physics today. ATTIC'S design centers on an 18 radiation length (X(sub Omnicron)) deep bismuth germanate (BGO) calorimeter, preceded by a 0.75 lambda(sub int) graphite target. In September 1999 the ATIC detector was exposed to high-energy beams at CERN's SPS accelerator, within the framework of the development program for the Advanced Cosmic-ray Composition Experiment for the Space Station (ACCESS). In December 2000 - January 2001, ATIC flew on the first of a series of long duration balloon (LDB) flights from McMurdo Station, Antarctica. We present here results from the 1999 beam-tests, including energy resolutions for electrons and protons at several beam energies from 100 GeV to 375 GeV, as well as signal linearity and collection efficiency estimates. We show how these results compare with expectations based on simulations, and their expected impacts on mission performance.

Ganel, O.