SHINE — Novel High-Luminosity Photonics for AntiMatter-OTech Opaque Neutrino Detection

The AntiMatter-OTech project (EIC grant) aims to demonstrate the potential performance of a completely new strategy for non-intrusive nuclear reactor monitoring, exploiting the intrinsic reactor’s fission antineutrino emanation. This enables a new insight into nuclear facilities with even possible integration into existing installations. Since their discovery using reactors in the 50s, antineutrino detection capabilities have been limited by their signal-to-background ratio despite significant improvement. A groundbreaking potential opens with LiquidO’s unique ability to tag the antimatter nature of the antineutrino upon detection. In brief, any strategy capable of boosting the detected light output will directly impact the ultimate performance of its subatomic topological imaging as well as the so far available calorimetry information. After long optimisation with prototypes, the only possible improvements ahead are the optical fibres’ light collection and today’s scintillators’ light yield per energy deposited. Despite decades of effort, the fundamental light losses remain uncontrolled, historically limiting detection in the MeV range worldwide. The SHINE proposal aims to address this challenge by the definition of a new photonics detection framework to be integrated into the AntiMatter-OTech LiquidO-based detector for a possible technological breakthrough by improving both optical fibres, in tight cooperation with Kuraray (Japan) and a new wave of scintillation technology. This is expected to boost all the original goals with no project re-scoping whatsoever. The project relies on the latest advances in photo-chemistry technology never employed in neutrino detection that may revolutionise the worldwide MeV detection and instrumentation well beyond the AntiMatter-OTech scope, including major opportunities for European industry. SHINE leads to the strengthening of the original consortium by recognised renowned expertise by specialised photo-chemical scientists.