Superconducting Nanowires Detect High-Energy Protons, Expanding Particle Physics Research

Argonne National Laboratory researchers have discovered that superconducting nanowire photon detectors (SNSPDs) can detect high-energy protons, expanding their use beyond photon detection. The team, conducting experiments at Fermilab, found that SNSPDs, typically used for quantum cryptography and advanced optical sensing, can accurately detect high-energy protons used in particle accelerators. This breakthrough opens new avenues in nuclear and particle physics, particularly for facilities like the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Whitney Armstrong, an Argonne physicist, emphasized the significance of this first-of-its-kind use of the technology, stating, "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." The team tested SNSPDs with varying wire sizes using a 120 GeV proton beam at Fermilab, determining that wire widths smaller than 400 nanometers, with an optimal size of 250 nanometers, provided high detection efficiency. The study also highlighted that SNSPDs operate effectively under high magnetic fields, making them suitable for use in accelerators. Tomas Polakovic, another Argonne physicist, noted the successful technology transfer from quantum sciences to 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." This advancement is crucial for the EIC, which requires sensitive detectors to analyze particles produced in electron-ion collisions. Sangbaek Lee, a physics postdoctoral appointee at Argonne, confirmed that the proton energy range tested at Fermilab aligns with the ion's energy range at the EIC, making these tests highly relevant. The research, published in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A, was funded by the DOE Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics.