Research theme
Cryogenic silicon photosensors and low-radioactivity readout electronics for next-generation rare-event searches, plus detector performance work.
New physics often waits behind better detectors. Manchester leads on the cryogenic silicon photosensors at the heart of the next generation of rare-event experiments, and I hold international and UK leadership roles for their development and delivery.
My group is the lead institute for production of the photo-detection modules and low-radioactivity readout electronics for DarkSide-20k. I have also contributed to detector-performance work at ATLAS — including extending muon reconstruction down to low transverse momentum, which broadened the reach of many downstream analyses.
Production, testing, delivery and commissioning of silicon photosensors and the outer-detector readout for DarkSide-20k are underway, alongside development of low-radioactivity signal-processing electronics for the DarkSide-UK project across five UK institutes.
Concept design study for DarkSide-LowMass: a ionization-only, electron-counting argon TPC built on the DarkSide-50 legacy and the DarkSide-20k programme, optimised for sub-10 GeV/c² dark matter. The projections show GeV-scale reach down to the solar neutrino fog and — through the Migdal effect or DM-electron scattering — significant sensitivity down to 10 MeV/c². Sets out the threshold, background and spurious-electron control targets a purpose-built low-mass argon experiment would need to hit.
The ATLAS muon-reconstruction performance paper for Run 1 (2011-12, 7 and 8 TeV), calibrated on large J/ψ → μμ, Z → μμ and Υ → μμ reference samples. Reports muon-reconstruction efficiency above 99% with per-mille precision across |η| < 2.7 and 5 < pT < 100 GeV, and momentum resolution from 1.7% (central, pT ≈ 10 GeV) to 4% (large rapidity, pT ≈ 100 GeV). Provides the simulation corrections used across the entire Run 1 ATLAS physics programme, underpinning B-physics, quarkonium and a broad range of new-physics analyses.
The pre-data ATLAS detector + physics compendium — an 1852-page reference document that, before any 7 TeV collisions had been recorded, surveyed expected reconstruction performance (tracking, leptons, photons, MET, jets, b-tagging, trigger) and projected sensitivity across the planned physics programme. The chapters on low-pT muon reconstruction and quarkonium / heavy-flavour measurements (contributed to here) anchored the early ATLAS B-physics programme.
The detector paper for ATLAS — the canonical reference for the experiment's design, construction and performance, with contributions on electron bremsstrahlung-recovery algorithms.
Current
Principal Investigator
Diverse interests across particle physics, software development and data analysis at colliders and in direct dark matter detection, high-frequency gravitational waves, neutrino physics, phenomenology, instrumentation, and the deployment of AI techniques.
Particle Astrophysics Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Instrumentation development for direct dark matter searches.
Engineer
SiPM sensor assembly, metrology, and testing for the neutron veto system of the DarkSide experiment.
Engineer
Development of handling and shipping systems and processes for DarkSide-20k sensors.
PhD student (2026–)
Development of opto-mechanical levitating quantum sensors for dark matter detection.
PhD student (2025–)
Advancing spin-dependent dark matter searches with DarkSide-20k through detector instrumentation, sensitivity studies and sidereal analyses.
PhD student (2025–)
Advancing the discovery potential of liquid argon dark matter detectors through detector commissioning, calibration and novel sensitivity studies.
PhD student (2021–)
Silicon photosensor instrumentation for next-generation dark matter searches.
MPhys student (2025–26)
A muon cosmic-ray detector and mini DarkSide-20k demonstrator for public engagement, using silicon photosensor modules built for the DarkSide-20k neutron veto. With Louis Durand.
MPhys student (2025–26)
A muon cosmic-ray detector and mini DarkSide-20k demonstrator for public engagement, using silicon photosensor modules built for the DarkSide-20k neutron veto. With David Crofts.
Alumni
