CERN tests quantum microwire detectors for next-generation colliders

Researchers led by Fermilab in collaboration with CERN, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech, and the University of Geneva have demonstrated that superconducting microwire single-photon detectors (SMSPDs) can significantly enhance the detection of high-energy particles and dark matter. By using a thicker tungsten silicide film, the team improved both the detection efficiency and timing resolution of SMSPDs, enabling better absorption of energy from charged particles like electrons, protons, pions, and notably muons. This advancement marks the first time SMSPDs have been used to measure muon detection efficiency, suggesting their potential application in future high-energy muon colliders. The researchers emphasize that next-generation particle accelerators will require detectors capable of tracking millions of events per second with high spatial and temporal precision. SMSPDs, also called 4D sensors due to their combined spatial and timing resolution, offer a larger active area compared to superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs),