University of South Dakota Advances Ge Detector Development with Home-Grown Crystals
USD’s comprehensive R&D program, beginning from raw materials and extending through the intricate process of zone refining, sets it apart as the only institution worldwide where graduate students can gain hands-on experience through the entire Ge detector production process.
This unique capability allows USD to train graduate students in every critical stage, from purifying Ge with zone refining to growing high-purity Ge crystals and developing detectors—a skill set highly valued in the field of rare-event physics and beyond.
Over the past seven years, numerous students have successfully completed rigorous training, equipping them with specialized expertise in Ge crystal processing and detector fabrication.
A recent milestone underscores USD’s leadership in the field: graduate student Shasika Panamaldeniya, under the guidance of Dongming Mei, Ph.D, successfully fabricated a planar Ge detector. This achievement marks an important step in Panamaldeniya’s research on hole-spin qubits, a promising area of quantum computing.
Panamaldeniya’s work highlights the ability to produce high-purity, low-noise Ge devices, paving the way toward developing and testing hole-spin qubits with Ge crystals.
In Mei's research group, a dedicated team led by senior graduate student Kunming Dong has focused on advancing Ge detector fabrication with innovative contact technologies, including amorphous Ge contacts and lithium diffusion contacts.
The success of Mei’s group in developing planar detectors with home-grown crystals further solidifies USD’s reputation as a leader in Ge detector technology.
This cutting-edge research not only strengthens USD’s position as a world leader in Ge detector development but also provides a unique educational experience that prepares students for impactful careers in science and technology.
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