USD's Germanium Crystal Growth and Detector Development Lab Gains National Visibility
During the AI-Powered Materials Discovery at the Great Plains Workshop, which was held June 23–25 at USD and funded by the National Science Foundation, over 200 multidisciplinary researchers from across the country gathered to explore the future of AI-integrated materials science. Many attendees also had the opportunity to visit USD’s unique germanium laboratory.
The workshop brought together experts in physics, biology, biomedical, materials science, engineering, and AI and machine learning. It also featured lab tours showcasing USD’s one-of-a-kind capabilities in growing high-purity germanium crystals and developing next-generation radiation detectors. Attendees witnessed firsthand how USD’s researchers are advancing crystal growth technologies and integrating them with AI-driven optimization to boost the yield of detector-grade crystals, a long-standing challenge in the field.
In addition to the workshop, the lab has hosted several high-profile visits in recent months. In late May, over 20 collaborators from the COHERENT Collaboration, an international team focused on coherent neutrino scattering, toured the facility during their meeting held at USD. On June 12, more than 30 scientists from the Super Cryogenic Dark Matter Search Collaboration, which focuses on dark matter detection using cryogenic detectors, also visited the lab to engage with USD’s detector development team.
These visits and engagements demonstrate the growing visibility and impact of USD’s germanium research program within the national and international scientific communities. The laboratory not only supports fundamental research into dark matter, neutrino physics, quantum computing and radiation detection, but also plays a critical role in workforce development and collaborative science across the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research jurisdictions and beyond.
As USD continues to expand its capabilities through federally funded initiatives and strategic partnerships, the Germanium Crystal Growth and Detector Development Laboratory stands at the forefront of innovation, bridging materials science, quantum sensing and AI-enabled discovery.
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