Neutrinos caught on camera: First prototype of new elementary particle detector tested Researchers from ETH Zurich and EPFL have tested the first prototype of a new elementary particle detector capable of capturing ultrafast, three-dimensional and high-resolution images of particles such as neutrinos in large volumes of unsegmented scintillator material. Traditional particle detectors rely on finely segmented scintillator materials, where each minor unit emits light when charged particles pass through and the resulting photons are collected via optical fibers for analysis. As experiments scale up, this segmentation-based approach becomes increasingly complex and costly. The new prototype uses a single, solid block of scintillator material. Particle pathways are reconstructed using advanced optics and precision timing electronics, enabling detailed 3D tracking without the need for physical segmentation. The team, led by Till Dieminger, Saúl Alonso-Monsalve and Davide Sgalaberna from ETH Zurich’s Department of Physics, collaborated with Kodai Kaneyasu, Claudio Bruschini, and Edoardo Charbon from EPFL’s Advanced Quantum Architecture Lab in the School of Engineering to develop and test the system. Their perform, which includes both experimental demonstration and comprehensive simulations, has been published in Nature Communications.
55