Group research seminar on new materials for rare event searches

12 February 2026

Photo: UHH

As part of the group's seminar programme, Dr Dimitra Spathara delivered an insightful research seminar exploring the development of advanced materials for next-generation rare-event physics experiments. Her talk focused on the critical role of ultra-pure materials in the search for dark matter and in efforts to uncover the fundamental nature of neutrinos.

Experiments aiming to directly detect dark matter or study neutrino properties require unprecedented sensitivity. Even trace amounts of radioactive contamination in detector components can obscure the extremely rare signals researchers seek to observe. For this reason, electroformed copper, known for its exceptional radiopurity, has become a material of choice in low-background experiments. However, while highly pure, electroformed copper suffers from limited mechanical strength and ductility, restricting its use in large-scale or high-pressure detector systems.

Dr Spathara presented a materials design strategy to overcome these limitations through the development of high-strength, radiopure copper-based alloys, particularly Cu-Cr and Cu-Cr-Ti systems. By combining advanced electrodeposition techniques with computational thermodynamics, specifically CALPHAD-based modelling, her approach enables predictive optimisation of alloy composition and thermal treatment. This integrated method allows researchers to balance radiopurity, mechanical performance, and manufacturability more effectively than traditional trial-and-error methods.

The seminar highlighted how such materials innovation can directly enhance the performance and scalability of next-generation dark matter and neutrino experiments, demonstrating the powerful intersection of materials science and fundamental physics research.