Research

My research focuses on some of the most fundamental questions about our Universe, by studying neutrinos.

I mostly work with cutting-edge detector technologies based on Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers (LArTPCs) — powerful instruments capable of recording detailed 3D images of particle interactions. My work combines neutrino physics, detector development, and data reconstruction, spanning multiple international collaborations including MicroBooNE, DUNE, and ProtoDUNE at Fermilab, CERN, and Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL).

MicroBooNE Experiment

The MicroBooNE experiment at Fermilab is a liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) neutrino detector designed to investigate the long-standing MiniBooNE low-energy excess—an unexpected surplus of electron-like events that may hint at new physics such as light sterile neutrinos. Beyond this central goal, MicroBooNE plays a crucial role in developing LArTPC technology and precision measurements of neutrino–argon interactions that underpin future experiments like DUNE.

I have been deeply involved in MicroBooNE’s short baseline neutrino oscillation program, co-leading the oscillation analysis and low-energy excess working group. My work focused on developing and optimizing the Wire-Cell 3D reconstruction framework, which reconstructs full event topologies from charge and light information in the detector. I led the electron-neutrino event selection and low-energy sensitivity studies, enabling the first comprehensive test of the MiniBooNE anomaly.

These efforts culminated in a series of landmark publications, including MicroBooNE’s first constraints on eV-scale sterile neutrino oscillations and MicroBooNE's exclusion of light sterile neutrino interpretation of LSND/MiniBooNE anomalies using two neutrino beams, establishing new benchmarks for neutrino cross-section and new physics searches.

MicroBooNE exclusion limits at 95% CLs level in electron neutrino apperance channel (top) and electron neutrino disappearance channel (bottom).

Nature 648, 64–69 (2025)

DUNE/ProtoDUNE Experiment

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a next-generation international project aiming to answer fundamental questions about the nature of neutrinos, including the origin of matter–antimatter asymmetry and the ordering of neutrino masses. Its ProtoDUNE detectors at CERN serve as full-scale prototypes for validating the design and performance of DUNE’s massive LArTPC modules.

My work on DUNE and ProtoDUNE spans both physics analyses and detector R&D. At Brookhaven National Laboratory, I contribute to DUNE Phase-II R&D, focusing on vertical-drift detector design, simulation and reconstruction of ProtoDUNE data, and dual calorimetry concepts that combine ionization charge and scintillation light for improved energy reconstruction.

I have also co-authored several DUNE collaboration papers on detector performance and reconstruction with deep learning, and have played an active role in defining the scientific and technological vision for DUNE Phase-II, as summarized in the 2024 Journal of Instrumentation publication “DUNE Phase II: Scientific Opportunities, Detector Concepts, and Technological Solutions.”

Detector R&D

Modern neutrino experiments rely on advanced detector technologies capable of capturing precise charge and light information from particle interactions. My current R&D focuses on improving these capabilities for next-generation LArTPCs such as those planned for DUNE Phase-II.

At BNL, I lead efforts in developing scalable wavelength-shifting (WLS) materials and photon-detection technologies, including industrial-scale deposition of p-terphenyl (pTP) films for X-Arapuca light-trap modules. These coatings are engineered for high optical efficiency, uniformity, and long-term stability—essential for ton- to kiloton-scale detectors.

In parallel, I am exploring novel calorimetry techniques, such as self-compensating light calorimetry, which uses scintillation light to balance hadronic and electromagnetic energy responses. This concept offers a path toward more accurate energy reconstruction and reduced detector systematics.

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