Building Better Detectors: Where Materials, Electronics, and Physics Meet

Radiation detectors form the critical interface between physical phenomena and measurable data, yet their performance is fundamentally shaped by complex interactions between materials, electronics, and device physics. In this seminar, I will present a broad overview of the principles that guide modern detector development, with an emphasis on how signals are generated, distorted, and ultimately interpreted.

For X-ray imaging, I will highlight the development of amorphous selenium (a-Se) detectors with optimized blocking contacts, enabling high quantum efficiency and spectral separation in single-exposure, dual-layer architectures. This approach supports precise, low-dose detection of subtle features, such as coronary artery calcifications. Across these efforts, the work aims to translate fundamental detector physics into practical, high-impact imaging technologies for science, medicine, and beyond.

Speaker: Shiva Abbaszadeh, UC Santa Cruz

Attend in person or click here to watch on Zoom (passcode 2009A)