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227-0624-00L 3 Credits MSC D-ITET

Detecting the Unknown

Lecturers & Examiners: Dr. Davide Mezza
Up until FS24 named "Semiconductor Radiation Detectors: From the Application to the System"
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-06-03 00:14:21

Abstract

Whether you want to take a picture of a protein, study a galactic object, or make a movie of a chemical reaction, the process is essentially the same as taking a selfie or shooting a video with your smartphone. You just need a different “light” and a different camera! At the end of this course, you will know the fundamentals to develop such a camera and how to use it.

Objective

The main goal of the course is to combine the knowledge of the fundamental processes of interaction of radiation with matter with electronic readout circuits to have a deep insight into the working principle of a semiconductor radiation detector. The strong background on the detector principle is then complemented with applications so that the student has a general overview of a modern detector system and its application in different fields (photon science, particle physics, chemistry, medicine, etc.).

Content

This course will be divided into lectures and lab sessions. The fundamental theoretical concept will be given in the lectures with numerical examples. The labs will consist of hands-on experience acquiring data with a real detector system in the labs of PSI (Paul Scherrer Institut) and data analysis using Python. The day at PSI will include a visit to the Synchrotron and one of the six working Free Electron Lasers in the World.

Resources

Literature

H. Spieler, Semiconductor Detector Systems, Oxford University Press. Glenn F. Knoll, Radiation Detection and Measurement, 3rd (or 4th) ed., Wiley G. Lutz, Semiconductor Radiation Detectors: Device Physics, 2nd ed., Springer Additional material about specific topics (especially electronics) will be available to the students in terms of notes and slides.

General Information

Language
English
Levels
MSC
Frequency
Yearly recurring

Examination

Type
end-of-semester examination
Mode
written 120 minutes
Aids
A single one-sided A4 paper.
The continuous performance assessment will be divided into an optional part and a compulsory part.The optional part will consist of low-threshold activities to test the progress of the students over the entire duration of the course. In particular, it will consist of homework that will be corrected in class. There will be a +0.25 on the final mark for the optional work.The compulsory part will be a semester project based on the activitiesperformed during the labs. The mandatory activity will contribute 25% of the final grade.

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
lecture with exercise Detecting the Unknown
The course will run with a minimum of 5 students.
  • Wed 14:15-16:00 (ML H 34.3)
2 h weekly

Offered In