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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

MagMicro with Ultra-High Energy Resolution (Progress Report Q4 FY18)

We are performing extensive simulations of the MMC detector response to optimize their energy resolution, detection efficiency and count rate based on the data we took in FY17/18. The optimized layout separates the MMC detector chip from the SQUID preamplifier chips coupled to the MMCs through Al wire bonds to avoid heating the MMC with the power dissipation of the SQUID. The goal is to design MMC gamma detectors with a limiting energy resolution below ~25 eV FWHM up to >100 keV and ~1 ms decay times for maximum count rates of several tens of counts/s per pixel. The simulations, which were done at the Supercomputing Center of the University of New Mexico, are taking significantly longer than expected. The difficulty is that the device performance depends intricately on the design parameters, and each simulation is quite involved because it needs to cover the frequency range well into the GHz range to account for the ac Josephson effect. This is delaying the start of the detector array fabrication, and we have not been able to complete the fabrication and the testing of the 32-pixel MMC arrays by September 30. We have therefore requested a no-cost extension of the project to March 31, 2019.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Measurements of D–D fusion neutrons generated in nanowire array laser plasma using Timepix3 detector

Here, we present results of the neutron detection in laser plasma experiment with CD2 nanowire target. A hybrid semiconductor pixel detector Timepix3 covered with neutron converters was using for the detection neutrons. D-D fusion neutrons were detected in a plastic converter through recoiled protons. Both the energy of recoiled protons and time-of-flight of neutrons (and thus their energy) were determined. We report (2.4±1.8) × 10 7 neutrons generated for 1 J of incoming laser energy. Furthermore, we proved that Timepix3 is suitable for difficult operational conditions in laser experiments.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Pixelated scintillator array response to relativistic electrons

In order to make time resolved measurements of the gamma spectra on DARHT Axis 2 using the Compton Spectrometer (CS), the electron detector in the focal plane must be a scintillator that is optically coupled to a gated or streak camera. There are several issues we would like to address with experiments at Idaho Accelerator Center (IAC) before committing to a full size array (7”x2”), which would cost at least $100k. Two candidates for this application are organic (Bicron 422 or equivalent) or inorganic (LYSO) scintillator. Monte Carlo calculations were performed by Rachel Morneau, P-21, using MCNP to compare the two materials each 1.5mm thick for an energy range of 0.1 to 20MeV. The energy loss per particle in LYSO is much larger (100x) than in the plastic scintillator. We confirmed, by performing experiments with the CS on the Microton, that sensitivity of the LYSO was much larger (10x) than the plastic scintillator. Therefore, we have selected LYSO as the scintillator of choice. However, interest in the response of other organic and plastic scintillators prompted an increase in scope of the project. The goals of this experiment were as follows. First, we need to understand the optical response of the scintillators to electrons as a function of thickness, energy, and deposited charge. We also need to verify level of saturation in the scintillation process. Second, compare the scintillators’ response to an image plate (the current CS detector). Third, we need to quantify the effect of signal bleed through to adjacent pixels.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2026

Results from the DUNE ND-LAr 2x2 Demonstrator Run 2

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a cutting-edge, long-baseline experiment under construction in the United States, based on large liquid-argon time projection chambers (LArTPCs). The DUNE Near Detector LArTPC (ND-LAr) will employ a novel modular architecture using a pixelated LArPix charge readout. To validate this design and characterize detector response, the 2×2 demonstrator—an array of eight optically isolated LArTPC modules—was deployed at Fermilab in 2024. During winter 2025, the 2x2 demonstrator was operated for a second data-taking campaign (Run 2) with the aim of studying the low-energy response of the detector. Run 2 focused on calibration and response studies using a suite of deployed radioactive sources. Gamma sources (²²Na, ⁶⁰Co, and ⁸⁸Y) were used to probe module-to-module performance variations, energy resolution, and calibrations. Neutron sources (AmBe and a pulsed neutron generator) enabled studies of neutron interactions in liquid argon, including inelastic scatters and neutron capture signals, relevant for low-energy backgrounds and detector modeling. In addition, the detector was doped with ²²⁰Rn, providing Bi–Po coincidence signals that allow precise calibration of the charge and scintillation response. This poster will present results from these calibration campaigns. These studies provide critical validation of the ND-LAr modular LArTPC concept and inform calibration and reconstruction strategies for the full DUNE near detector.

Mora-Lepin, Luis [Florida State U.] (ORCID:0000000↗
DOE OSTI2018

Fabrication of Detector Arrays for the SPT-3G Receiver

The South Pole Telescope third-generation (SPT-3G) receiver was installed during the austral summer of 2016–2017. It is designed to measure the cosmic microwave background across three frequency bands centered at 95, 150, and 220 GHz. The SPT-3G receiver has ten focal plane modules, each with 269 pixels. Each pixel features a broadband sinuous antenna coupled to a niobium microstrip transmission line. In-line filters define the desired band-passes before the signal is coupled to six bolometers with Ti/Au/Ti/Au transition edge sensors (three bands × two polarizations). In total, the SPT-3G receiver is composed of 16,000 detectors, which are read out using a 68 × frequency-domain multiplexing scheme. In this paper, we present the process employed in fabricating the detector arrays.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2019

Design of ePixM, a fully-depleted monolithic CMOS active pixel sensor for soft X-ray experiments at LCLS-II

The LCLS-II Free Electron Laser (FEL) will produce X-ray pulses with a repetition rate of up to 1 MHz and energies between 250 eV and 5 keV. Experiments conducted at LCLS-II will require 2D imaging detectors with a unique set of features, such as high-spatial resolution, low-noise performance, high-dynamic range and high-frame rates up to 1 MHz. We present the design of ePixM, a fully-depleted monolithic CMOS detector tailored for soft X-rays applications at high-repetition rates FEL. It consists of an array of 384×192 active pixel sensors, with a pixel size of 50×50 μm 2 and a total sensitive area of 2×1 cm 2 . ePixM has been designed in a 150 nm CMOS technology on high-resistivity substrate to achieve full depletion of the substrate. Each pixel includes a Charge Sensitive Amplifier (CSA) with gain auto-ranging capability and a noise-shaper performing Correlated Double Sampling (CDS). A novel technique named correlated pre-charging removes the excess noise introduced by the gain-switching mechanism. The performance of the design has been evaluated through post-layout simulations. The Equivalent Noise Charge (ENC) of 11.3 electrons enables single-photon detection at X-ray energies down to 250 eV, and the dynamic range exceeds 10 3 photons at 500 eV thanks to the auto-ranging circuitry.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Development of a large array of Silicon Drift Detectors for high-rate synchrotron fluorescence spectroscopy

An array of small-area Silicon Drift Detectors (SDD), named Hera, has been developed at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in the past few years. Its primary application is high-rate spectroscopy at synchrotrons. Each SDD pixel is a 1 mm × 1 mm square to match the footprint of the original diode-based pixel detector called Maia, which was developed for the same application. The replacement of the diode with an SDD allows for better energy resolution at short shaping times and an increased stability of the detector. 32, 96, and 384-channel arrays were designed and fabricated and achieved a Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) as low as 176 eV at 5.9 keV with peaking time of 1 μs at -13°C. The sensor design, simulation, fabrication, its readout system, and its spectroscopic performance are reported.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Operation of a Modular 3D-Pixelated Liquid Argon Time-Projection Chamber in a Neutrino Beam

The 2x2 Demonstrator, a prototype for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) liquid argon (LAr) Near Detector, was exposed to the Neutrinos from the Main Injector (NuMI) neutrino beam at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). This detector is a prototype of a new modular design for a liquid argon time-projection chamber (LArTPC), comprising a two-by-two array of four modules, each further segmented into two optically isolated LArTPCs. The 2x2 Demonstrator features a number of pioneering technologies, including a low-profile resistive field shell to establish drift fields, native 3D ionization pixelated imaging, and a high-coverage dielectric light readout system. The 2.4-tonne active mass detector is flanked upstream and downstream by supplemental solid-scintillator tracking planes, repurposed from the MINERvA experiment, which track ionizing particles exiting the argon volume. The antineutrino beam data collected by the detector over a 4.5 day period in 2024 include over 30,000 neutrino interactions in the LAr active volume—the first neutrino interactions reported by a DUNE detector prototype. During its physics-quality run, the 2x2 Demonstrator operated at a nominal drift field of 500 V/cm and maintained good LAr purity, with a stable electron lifetime of approximately 1.25 ms. This paper describes the detector and supporting systems, summarizes the installation and commissioning, and presents the initial validation of collected NuMI beam and off-beam self-triggers. In addition, it highlights observed interactions in the detector volume, including candidate muon antineutrino events.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Large active-area superconducting microwire detector array with single-photon sensitivity in the near-infrared

Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) are the highest-performing technology for time-resolved single-photon counting from the UV to the near-infrared. The recent discovery of single-photon sensitivity in micrometer-scale superconducting wires is a promising pathway to explore for large active area devices with application to dark matter searches and fundamental physics experiments. We present 8-pixel $1 mm^2$ superconducting microwire single photon detectors (SMSPDs) with $1\,\mathrm{\mu m}$-wide wires fabricated from WSi and MoSi films of various stoichiometries using electron-beam and optical lithography. Devices made from all materials and fabrication techniques show saturated internal detection efficiency at 1064 nm in at least one pixel, and the best performing device made from silicon-rich WSi shows single-photon sensitivity in all 8 pixels and saturated internal detection efficiency in 6/8 pixels. This detector is the largest reported active-area SMSPD or SNSPD with near-IR sensitivity published to date, and the first report of an SMSPD array. By further optimizing the photolithography techniques presented in this work, a viable pathway exists to realize larger devices with $cm^2$-scale active area and beyond.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Characterization of MKIDs for CMB Observation at 220 GHz With the South Pole Telescope

We present an updated design of the 220 GHz microwave kinetic inductance detector (MKID) pixel for SPT-3G+, the next-generation camera for the South Pole Telescope. We show results of the dark testing of a 63-pixel array with mean inductor quality factor $Q_{i} = 4.8 \times 10^{5}$, aluminum inductor transition temperature $T_{c} = 1.19$K, and kinetic inductance fraction $\alpha _{k} = 0.32$. We optically characterize both the microstrip-coupled and CPW-coupled resonators, and find both have a spectral response close to prediction with an optical efficiency of $\eta \sim 70\%$. However, we find slightly lower optical response on the lower edge of the band than predicted, with neighboring dark detectors showing more response in this region, though at level consistent with less than 5% frequency shift relative to the optical detectors. The detectors show polarized response consistent with expectations, with a cross-polar response of $\sim 10\%$for both detector orientations.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2026

Characterization of high-flux cadmium zinc telluride detectors coupled to MM-PAD readout ASICs for high-flux X-ray applications

High-flux cadmium zinc telluride (HF-CZT) is a promising material for next-generation X-ray imaging due to its high stopping power, wide bandgap, and improved resistance to radiation-induced polarization [1]. We bonded 2 mm thick HF-CZT sensors with Cornell's Mixed-Mode Pixel Array ASICs, which combine analog charge integration and in-pixel digital counting to achieve single X-ray sensitivity, large full well capacity, and frame rates up to 10 kHz [2,3]. Detector characterization showed stable electron collection above 150 V bias, while hole collection remained limited by trapping even at 700 V. Temporal studies revealed non-negligible afterglow, with an unexpected increase in afterglow at higher biases, which was reduced by infrared illumination, suggesting that injected carriers reduce trapping near contact interfaces. Polarization measurements confirmed improved stability compared to conventional CZT, though polarization effects persisted, particularly with hole collection, with up to 5% signal loss and spatial distortion at high doses.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Development of Multi-chroic MKIDs for Next-Generation CMB Polarization Studies

We report on the status of an ongoing effort to develop arrays of horn-coupled, polarization-sensitive microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) that are each sensitive to two spectral bands between 125 and 280 GHz. These multi-chroic MKID arrays are tailored for next-generation, large-detector-count experiments that are being designed to simultaneously characterize the polarization properties of both the cosmic microwave background and Galactic dust emission. We present our device design and describe laboratory-based measurement results from two 23-element prototype arrays. From dark measurements of our first engineering array, we demonstrated a multiplexing factor of 92, showed the resonators respond to bath temperature changes as expected, and found that the fabrication yield was 100%. From our first optically loaded array, we found the MKIDs respond to millimeter-wave pulses; additional optical characterization measurements are ongoing. We end by discussing our plans for scaling up this technology to kilo-pixel arrays over the next 2 years.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

Transparent Ceramic Garnet Gamma-Ray Spectrometer With Directionality

We have developed a handheld γ -ray spectrometer based on 1024 pixels, 2.8mm×2.8mm×6 mm in size, of gadolinium–yttrium–gallium–aluminum garnet (GYGAG) ((Gd,Y,Ce) 3 (Ga,Al) 5 O 12 ) ceramic scintillator (total of 48-cm 3 detector volume) coupled to silicon photodiode (SiPD) arrays. The SiPD arrays and readout ASIC, originally developed for medical imaging applications, have been adapted for portability in a lightweight box with heatsink and thermoelectric cooling. Custom readout firmware for γ-ray spectroscopy has been implemented, and a system user interface was developed that runs on an Android tablet. Here, we have optimized the processing of the GYGAG(Ce), the pixel optical coupling, and electronics readout parameters to obtain single pixel energy resolution as good as R(662keV)=3.1 % full-width at half-maximum and full device resolution with singles events from all pixels summed of 4.5%. When Compton-summed events are included, full-energy peak efficiency increases by ~2× , and R(662keV)=4.7 % is obtained for the full device. The pixelated architecture is leveraged to locate point sources of radiological materials using Compton imaging and active masking techniques. Directional detection of a 1 mCi Cs-137 source at 10 m can be made to ±10° in ~2 s.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Second Generation Readout For Large Format Photon Counting Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors

We present the development of a second generation digital readout system for photon counting microwave kinetic inductance detector (MKID) arrays operating in the optical and near-infrared wavelength bands. Our system retains much of the core signal processing architecture from the first generation system but with a significantly higher bandwidth, enabling the readout of kilopixel MKID arrays. Each set of readout boards is capable of reading out 1024 MKID pixels multiplexed over 2 GHz of bandwidth; two such units can be placed in parallel to read out a full 2048 pixel microwave feedline over a 4 GHz–8 GHz band. As in the first generation readout, our system is capable of identifying, analyzing, and recording photon detection events in real time with a time resolution of order a few microseconds. Here, we describe the hardware and firmware, and present an analysis of the noise properties of the system. We also present a novel algorithm for efficiently suppressing IQ mixer sidebands to below −30 dBc.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Development of selenium imaging detectors toward a definitive search for neutrinoless ββ decay

Imaging sensors made from an ionization target layer of amorphous selenium (aSe) coupled to a silicon complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel array for charge readout are a promising technology for neutrino physics. The high spatial resolution in a solid-state target provides unparalleled rejection of backgrounds from natural radioactivity in the search for the neutrinoless ββ decay of 82 Se. With this grant, we experimentally determined two crucial factors necessary for the realization of this novel technology: i) the intrinsic energy response of aSe to ionizing electrons, and ii) the feasibility to couple a target layer of aSe to a CMOS active pixel sensor to image electron tracks.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

HRPPD photosensors for RICH detectors with a high resolution timing capability

Recently, a new version of DC-coupled High Rate Picosecond Photodetectors (DC-HRPPDs) substantially re-designed for use at the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) has been developed. A first batch of seven “EIC HRPPDs” was manufactured in early 2024. These HRPPDs are DC-coupled photosensors based on Micro-Channel Plates (MCPs) that have an active area of 104 mm by 104 mm, 32 × 32 direct readout pixel array at a pitch of 3.25 mm, peak quantum efficiency in excess of 30%, exceptionally low dark count rates and timing resolution of 15–20 ps for a single photon detection. As such, these photosensors are very well suited for Ring Imaging CHerenkov (RICH) detectors that can additionally provide high resolution timing capability, especially in a configuration where a detected charged particle passes through the sensor window, which produces a localized flash containing a few dozens of Cherenkov photons in it.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗