Light carries a great amount of information about the world around us and about the Universe at large. Detecting even the smallest amounts of light allows scientists to observe distant galaxies, study the fundamental constituents of matter, and search for some of the most elusive phenomena in nature.
Photon detectors - devices capable of converting tiny flashes of light into measurable signals - play a crucial role in this endeavor.
Over the past decades, advances in detector technologies such as photomultiplier tubes, silicon photomultipliers and CMOS image sensors have dramatically improved our ability to measure light with extreme sensitivity, speed, and precision.
In this seminar, I will discuss how photon detectors enable discoveries in fundamental research, in particular in particle physics and neutrino experiments. At the same time, many of the same technologies have found their way into everyday applications, from medical imaging and environmental monitoring to consumer materials, including smartphone cameras.
The seminar will also cover various research activities carried out in the laboratories of the University of Ferrara, INN Ferrara and CERN, that led to the development and production of a novel single photon detector, funded by the European Research Council.