Mines Professor Honored with 2024 Department of Energy Early Career Scientist Award

October 11, 2024
Mines Professor Honored with 2024 Department of Energy Early Career Scientist Award
South Dakota Mines research group, left to right, Diana Leon, physics Ph.D., student, Dr. Biswaranjan Behera, postdoctoral researcher, Jairo Rodriguez and Denis Torres, physics Ph.D. students, and Dr. David Martinez Caicedo, associate professor of physics. Not pictured, Clive Uy, a mechanical engineering major, former undergraduate mechanical engineering students Cooper Vermeulen, Ian Helgeson, Kole Pickner, and former physics undergraduate student Alex Heindel.

David Martinez Caicedo, Ph.D., South Dakota Mines associate professor of physics since August 2024, has been selected for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Early Career Scientist Award, receiving nearly $900,000 over five years to support his research toward an enhanced photon detection system for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) Far Detector 3.

A total of 91 awardees from universities and national laboratories were chosen based on peer review by outside scientific experts covering a wide range of topics including artificial intelligence, fusion energy and quantum. These awards are critical to the DOE's longstanding efforts to develop the next generation of STEM leaders to solidify America's role as the driver of science and innovation around the world. From the 91 awards announced, Martinez Caicedo is the only scientist in South Dakota to be selected this year.

"Receiving this award is a tremendous honor, made possible by the hard work and dedication of our Mines research group in collaboration with the team lead by William Pellico at Fermilab,” Martinez Caicedo said. “This recognition highlights the outstanding work being done at Mines and opens the door for continued collaboration with world-class scientists, allowing us to continue playing a leadership role in advancing technology for DUNE detectors to be located at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF)."

Martinez Caicedo added that it is exciting to see Mines physics and mechanical engineering undergraduates who contributed to the project now thriving in their professional careers

He recognized his family for their unwavering support and encouragement and acknowledged the dedication and assistance of the Mines staff and physics department.

DUNE's goal is to study neutrino oscillations, searches of phenomena beyond the standard model of particle physics and provide clues to explain why the universe doesn’t have equal amounts of matter and antimatter. The photon detection system (PDS) in the DUNE far detector at SURF must function in tough conditions, including high-voltage environments and extremely low temperatures. To meet these challenges, Mines and Fermilab successfully led tests using power-over-fiber (PoF) technology to power DUNE Far Detector 2 PDS prototypes at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), which were placed on a high-voltage cathode surface and submerged in liquid argon at about -303 °F.

The award will allow Martinez Caicedo’s group to enhance the PoF technology by collaborating with Fermilab and industry experts to create tailored solutions that optimize PoF components capable of operating in harsh environments. The PoF technology will power the novel field-cage-integrated large-area photon detectors proposed for DUNE Far Detector 3. In addition, the group will aim to play a key role in analyzing the data collected with DUNE prototypes located at CERN.

 “We are eager to see how the results of this project could guide future directions for using power-over-fiber technology in other systems operating in challenging environments, such as dark matter and neutrinoless double beta decay experiments,” Martinez Caicedo said. “The outcomes of the project could also benefit quantum and space-exploration technologies by offering a dependable solution with low noise, optimal efficiency and superior isolation.”