publications | paolo lazzaroni

2025

Humidity- and Temperature-Sensing Properties of 2D-Layered Tungsten Di-Selenide (2H-WSe2) Electroconductive Coatings for Cotton-Based Smart Textiles

Valentina Trovato , Rajashree Konar , Eti Teblum , and 4 more authors

Polymers, Mar 2025

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Electroconductive textiles (e-Textiles) are vital in developing wearable sensors that preserve the comfort and characteristics of textiles. Among two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), considered a promising option for sensor applications, tungsten di-selenide (WSe2) homostructures have been used as humidity- and temperature-sensing materials for developing e-textiles, as mentioned in a first-of-its-kind report. Exfoliated chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown 2H-WSe2 nanosheets were dispersed in hydroalcoholic solutions using an amino-functionalized silane to improve dispersion. Acrylic thickener was added to create 2H-WSe2-based pastes, which were applied onto cotton using the knife-over-roll technique to obtain thin, flexible electroconductive coatings on textiles. Various characterization techniques confirmed the even distribution of 2D-WSe2-based coatings on fabrics and the maintenance of textile comfort and wearability. The conductivity of coated fabrics was measured at room temperature and ranged between 2.9 \texttimes 108 and 1.6 \texttimes 109 \textohm sq-1. The WSe2-based textile sensors functioned well as resistance humidity detectors within 30–90% relative humidity (RH), revealing good repeatability and sensitivity after multiple exposure cycles. To a lesser extent, WSe2-based textile sensors act as temperature detectors within 20–60 ^∘C with limited repeatability. The 2D-based textiles exhibited a quadratic dependence of resistance on temperature and a characteristic thermal hysteresis. This proposed strategy marks a significant milestone in developing scalable and flexible 2D TMD-based detectors with great potential for wearable sensing devices.
Analog Readout Channel for Continuous-wave X-ray Science Applications

P. Lazzaroni, M. Hammer , M. Manghisoni , and 4 more authors

IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, Mar 2025

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Diffraction-limited storage rings are posing huge challenges on the detectors required in new generation x-ray experiments, especially those based on continuous-wave operation. A modern mixed-signal readout channel demands strict requirements on noise, power consumption, and frame rate, asking for advancements in both analog and digital design. The proposed readout channel, pFREYA, is designed for pixellated detectors to be employed in continuous-wave x-ray science applications (e.g., ptychography) with a frame rate of 1 MHz. It is developed in a commercial 65nm CMOS technology and features single photon resolution at 5 keV, 9 keV, 18 keV, and 25 keV photon energies, a power consumption of 220 μW, and a pixel area of 150μm\texttimes 150 μm. It also offers a 2-bit switchable peaking time selection for signal-to-noise ratio optimisation, signal-over-threshold identification for zero-suppression, and 10-bit analogto- digital conversion per channel. In the present work an overview on the readout channel architecture will be given and results from the characterisation of the CSA and the shaper employed in the architecture will be provided, in addition to the noise performance of the pFREYA channel.

2024

Experimental results of the pFREYA16 ASIC for x-ray ptychography in continuous wave light sources

P. Lazzaroni, M. Hammer , M. Manghisoni , and 5 more authors

Journal of Instrumentation, Dec 2024

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The pFREYA16, prototype Fast Readout for ptYchography Applications with 16 channels, ASIC is a pixellated 8-by-2 readout matrix developed for ptychography experiments based on fourth generation storage ring light sources, also known as diffraction-limited storage rings (DLSR), pushing towards continuous wave operation. The target of the experiment is to obtain a 128-by-128 matrix of pixels, working at a frame rate of 1 MHz with single-photon resolution, as well as low-noise and low-power figures, in a modest-size pixel area of 150 μm × 150 μm. The readout chain is composed of a switch-reset CSA and a semi-Gaussian unipolar RC-CR shaper, and includes signal discrimination, zero-suppression capabilities, and pixel-level analog to digital conversion. The ASIC is also configurable for 5, 9, 18, or 25 keV input photon energy, with a full well capacity of 256 equivalent photons in each mode, and four different peaking times are available for noise optimisation. The paper will focus on the characterisation of the CSA and the shaper stage.
Advancing Sustainable Mobility: A Data Acquisition System for Light Vehicles and Active Mobility

Matteo Verzeroli , Luigi Gaioni , Andrea Galliani , and 3 more authors

Electronics, Oct 2024

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The GAPS Time-of-Flight Detector

Sydney Nicole Feldman , and on behalf of the GAPS Collaboration

In Proceedings of 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference — PoS(ICRC2023) , Sep 2024

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The General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) Antarctic long duration balloon mission is scheduled for launch during the austral summer of 2024-25. Its novel detection technique, based on exotic atom formation, excitation, and decay, is specifically designed for the detection of slow moving cosmic antiprotons and antideuterons. Such antinuclei are predicted by a wide variety of allowed dark matter models, as well as other astrophysical theories like primordial black holes. There are two main components of the GAPS instrument: a large-area tracker and a surrounding time-of-flight system (TOF). The combination of these two systems allows GAPS to effectively differentiate between species of negatively-charged antinuclei and determine the energy deposition, velocity, and trajectory of particles interacting with the detector. This contribution will focus on the TOF, which determines the velocity of the incoming antiparticle and provides the trigger to the experiment. We will give an overview of the TOF detector, an explanation of relevant electronics, and a report on its construction and preliminary performance. The TOF is composed of 160 thin plastic scintillator paddles ranging in length from 1.5 to 1.8 meters. At each paddle end, signals from six silicon photomultipliers are combined to produce two copies of the resulting waveform: one to form the trigger and one for data readout. This design is optimized for low mass and fast data acquisition while still maintaining good light collection.
The Identification of the Cosmic-Ray Light Nuclei with the GAPS Experiment

Riccardo Munini , Alex Lenni , and on behalf of the GAPS Collaboration

In Proceedings of 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference — PoS(ICRC2023) , Sep 2024

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GAPS (General AntiParticle Spectrometer) is a balloon-borne large-acceptance experiment de- signed to detect low-energy (< 0.25 GeV/n) cosmic-ray antinuclei during three ∼35-day Antarctic flights, the first of these planned for the 2024-2025 austral summer. The GAPS apparatus, cur- rently in preparation for the first flight, consists of a tracker equipped with large-area lithium-drifted silicon detectors and surrounded by a large-acceptance time-of-flight system made of plastic scin- tillators. This design has been optimized to perform a novel antiparticle identification technique based on an antinucleus capture and the subsequent exotic atom formation and decay, allowing more active target material and a larger geometrical acceptance since no magnet is required. Al- though detecting the cosmic-ray antinuclei as an indirect dark-matter signature is the primary goal of GAPS, many low-energy cosmic-ray nuclei will also be recorded. Nuclei do not form exotic atoms in the GAPS detectors, and their detection is based on the measurements of the ionization energy depositions and the evaluation of the kinetic energy and the stopping depth relative to the measured velocity. An algorithm was developed to fit the slow-down of particles and antiparticles tracked inside the GAPS apparatus. The quantities fitted by this algorithm, together with the mea- sured velocity and energy deposition information, allow the identification of protons, deuterons, and helium nuclei and the measurement of their spectra in a low-energy range (< 0.25 GeV/n). The results of this analysis, based on detailed Monte Carlo simulation studies, will be presented in this contribution.
Integration and Calibration of the GAPS Antarctic Balloon Payload

Riccardo Munini , and on behalf of the GAPS Collaboration

In Proceedings of 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference — PoS(ICRC2023) , Sep 2024

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With its inaugural Antarctic long-duration balloon mission in December 2023, the General An- tiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) will become the first experiment optimized to detect cosmic-ray antinuclei below 0.25 GeV/\emphn. Detection of a single antideuteron at this energy scale would be a smoking-gun signature of new physics such as dark matter. The GAPS program will also provide a precision antiproton spectrum in a previously unprobed low-energy range, as well as leading sensitivity to antihelium-3. This new parameter space is accessible thanks to a novel par- ticle identification method based on exotic atom formation, de-excitation, and decay. The method provides a unique handle for the negatively-charged antinuclei, facilitating excellent rejection of the positive-nucleus background, and does not require a magnet, enabling a large sensitive area for rare events. The GAPS instrument is designed to provide excellent discrimination power for rare events within the power and mass constraints of a long-duration balloon. The time-of-flight, composed of 160 scintillator paddles, provides the system trigger as well as the GAPS energy scale. The 2.5 m3 tracker volume is instrumented with 1000 10-cm-diameter silicon sensors which serve as the target, X-ray spectrometer, and particle tracker. Together, a large-area radiator and an integrated oscillating heat pipe system cool the payload without a bulky cryostat. This contribution reports the integration and calibration of the GAPS science payload, including the performance of the sensitive detector subsystems, the cooling system, the power distribution, and data acquisition and onboard event processing.
The GAPS Experiment - a Search for Light Cosmic Ray Antinuclei

Achim Stoessl , and on behalf of the GAPS Collaboration

In Proceedings of 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference — PoS(ICRC2023) , Sep 2024

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The General Anti Particle Spectrometer (GAPS) is a balloon-borne cosmic-ray experiment which is currently in its last phase of construction, undergoing system testing, and scheduled for a long-duration balloon flight from McMurdo Station in the Antarctic in December 2024. Its primary scientific goal is the search for light antinuclei in cosmic rays at kinetic energies below 0.25 GeV/\n\. This energy region is especially of interest for beyond-the-standard model dark matter searches and is still mostly uncharted. Searches for light antimatter nuclei with energies below ~0.25 GeV/\n are a novel approach to the search for dark matter because wide range of dark matter models proposes annihilation or decay into matter-antimatter pairs. GAPS will yield unprecedented sensitivity to low-energy antideuterons and will measure the low-energy antiproton spectrum with high statistics and precision. To reach the required sensitivity, the GAPS detector incorporates a new approach for antimatter detection, utilizing a tracker with custom, lithium-drifted silicon detectors, designed to measure the X-ray cascade expected from antimatter capture and charged particles from the subsequent annihilation. It also utilizes a fast time-of-flight system, allowing for a high-precision beta measurement. This proceeding highlights GAPS scientific goals.
Empowering Smart Mobility with a Component-based Data Acquisition System for Multi-sensor Readout

Matteo Verzeroli , Andrea Galliani , Luca Ghislotti , and 3 more authors

In 2024 19th Conference on Ph.D Research in Microelectronics and Electronics (PRIME) , Jun 2024

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Low-Noise Wide Dynamic Range Charge Sensitive Amplifier in 65 nm CMOS Technology for the Second Flight of the GAPS Experiment

Luca Ghislotti , Paolo Lazzaroni, Massimo Manghisoni , and 1 more author

In 2024 19th Conference on Ph.D Research in Microelectronics and Electronics (PRIME) , Jun 2024

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Energy Threshold Calibration of the GAPS Experiment Si(Li) Tracker Readout Electronics

L. Ghislotti , M. Boezio , L. Fabris , and 6 more authors

Il Nuovo Cimento C, Apr 2024

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GAPS (General AntiParticle Spectrometer) is a stratospheric balloon experiment designed to detect low-energy cosmic ray antinuclei (<0.25 GeV) as an indirect signature of dark matter. The experiment exploits an innovative particle identification approach based on the formation of an excited atom and its consequent de-excitation and decay. GAPS will provide unprecedented sensitivity to cosmic antideuterons, an antiproton spectrum in a hitherto unexplored energy range and high sensitivity to cosmic antihelium. The first flight is foreseen to take place from the McMurdo Station in Antarctica during the austral summer of 2024. The instrument is currently undergoing integration and calibration in anticipation of launch. In this paper, the latest tracker electronics energy threshold calibration results will be presented.
A 32-Channel Readout ASIC for X-Ray Spectrometry and Tracking in the GAPS Experiment

Massimo Manghisoni , Luca Ghislotti , Paolo Lazzaroni, and 6 more authors

IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, Jan 2024

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This work describes the architecture and the experimental results from the characterization of a 32-channel mixed-signal application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) developed for the readout of the lithium-drifted silicon (Si(Li)), detectors of the general antiparticle spectrometer (GAPS) experiment dedicated to searching for dark matter. The instrument is designed for the identification of antiprotons, antideuterons, and antihelium nuclei from cosmic rays during an Antarctic balloon mission scheduled for late 2024. A full-custom integrated circuit, named SLIDER32 (32-channel Si-Li detector readout) ASIC, has been produced in a commercial 180-nm CMOS technology. The ASIC comprises 32 low-noise analog readout channels featuring dynamic signal compression to comply with the wide input range, an 11-bit successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a digital back-end section which is responsible for channel setting and for sending digital information to the data acquisition system (DAQ). The circuit design criteria and the experimental results are discussed in this article.
Index Air Quality Monitoring for Light and Active Mobility

Stefano Botticini , Elisabetta Comini , Salvatore Dello Iacono , and 9 more authors

Sensors, Jan 2024

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Light and active mobility, as well as multimodal mobility, could significantly contribute to decarbonization. Air quality is a key parameter to monitor the environment in terms of health and leisure benefits. In a possible scenario, wearables and recharge stations could supply information about a distributed monitoring system of air quality. The availability of low-power, smart, low-cost, compact embedded systems, such as Arduino Nicla Sense ME, based on BME688 by Bosch, Reutlingen, Germany, and powered by suitable software tools, can provide the hardware to be easily integrated into wearables as well as in solar-powered EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) for scooters and e-bikes. In this way, each e-vehicle, bike, or EVSE can contribute to a distributed monitoring network providing real-time information about micro-climate and pollution. This work experimentally investigates the capability of the BME688 environmental sensor to provide useful and detailed information about air quality. Initial experimental results from measurements in non-controlled and controlled environments show that BME688 is suited to detect the human-perceived air quality. CO2 readout can also be significant for other gas (e.g., CO), while IAQ (Index for Air Quality, from 0 to 500) is heavily affected by relative humidity, and its significance below 250 is quite low for an outdoor uncontrolled environment.

2023

Experimental Results from the Characterization of a 32-Channels Mixed-Signal Processor for the GAPS Experiment

E. Riceputi , M. Manghisoni , V. Re , and 9 more authors

In 2023 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium, Medical Imaging Conference and International Symposium on Room-Temperature Semiconductor Detectors (NSS MIC RTSD) , Nov 2023

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This work describes the experimental results obtained from the characterization of a 32-channels readout ASIC that is the core of a module composed by 4 Lithium-drifted Silicon, Si(Li), detectors. The module is the building block of a tracker in an upcoming balloon experiment. The activity is carried out within the General AntiParticle Spectrometer (GAPS) international collaboration, whose objective is the indirect detection of dark matter through the detection of antiparticles present in cosmic rays at low energies. The balloon flight is foreseen in 2024 from the McMurdo station in Antarctica. The ASIC is designed in a 180 nm CMOS technology and has 32 low-noise analog readout channels featuring a dynamic compression of the signal, an 11-bit SAR ADC, and a digital back-end section responsible for channel setting and for sending digital information to the data acquisition system of the tracker. This work has a twofold goal: it intends on the one hand to verify the performance of the circuit, on the other to select at least 300 good samples to be used for the assembly of the GAPS Si(Li) tracker.
Characterisation of the pFREYA16 ASIC for Low-Noise Ptychography Applications

P. Lazzaroni, M. P. Hammer , M. Manghisoni , and 4 more authors

In 2023 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium, Medical Imaging Conference and International Symposium on Room-Temperature Semiconductor Detectors (NSS MIC RTSD) , Nov 2023

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The pFREYA16 ASIC is an 8 x 2 prototype pixellated matrix developed to comply with the stringent requirements on both noise performance and frame acquisition speed imposed by recent x-ray ptychography applications. Namely, each pixel in the matrix was designed focusing mainly on single photon detection at 5 keV, 9 keV and 25 keV photon energies, with an equivalent noise charge of 250 e-rms obtained in post-layout simulations in the nominal case, and 1 MHz conversion rate, comprising integration by means of a charge sensitive amplifier, signal shaping through an RC-CR stage, discrimination of interesting signals and analog to digital conversion. The whole chain is integrated in each pixel. pFREYA16 is the first step to validate the architecture of a future 128-by-128 matrix. The channel power consumption is 220 μW in post-layout simulations in the nominal case and the elementary cell area occupation is 150 μm x 150 μm. The ASIC, together with a test structure matrix, has been submitted in Q4 2022, is currently in the assembly house for bonding and will be received by the end of Q2 2023. This summary will focus on the pFREYA16 design and development, while the conference presentation will also showcase the results from the characterisation of the produced chips.
A Mixed-Signal Processor for X-ray Spectrometry and Tracking in the GAPS Experiment

Valerio Re , Luca Ghislotti , Paolo Lazzaroni, and 6 more authors

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Jan 2023

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This paper reports the design and experimental results from the characterization of an integrated circuit developed for the readout of the X-ray spectrometer and tracking system of the General AntiParticle Spectrometer (GAPS) balloon mission. GAPS will search for an indirect signature of dark matter through the detection of low-energy (<0.25 GeV/n) cosmic-ray antiprotons, antideuterons and antihelium nuclei. The ASIC, named SLIDER32 (32 channels Si-LI DEtector Readout ASIC), was fabricated in a 180 nm CMOS technology and is comprised of 32 analog readout channels, an 11-bit SAR ADC and a digital back-end section which is responsible for defining channel settings and for sending digital information to the data acquisition system. The core of the ASIC is a low-noise analog channel implementing a dynamic signal compression which makes the chip suitable for resolving both X-rays in the range of 20 to 100 keV and charged particles with energy deposition of up to 100 MeV. It features an energy resolution of 4 keV FWHM in the 20–100 keV range with a 40 pF detector capacitance, to clearly distinguish X-rays from antiprotonic or antideuteronic exotic atoms. The readout electronics of the ASIC will run at a temperature of about –40 ^∘C, complying with a detector leakage current of the order of 5–10 nA per strip.
The 32 Analog Channels Readout for the Long-Flight GAPS Balloon Experiment Tracking System

E. Riceputi , M. Boezio , L. Fabris , and 6 more authors

In Proceedings of SIE 2022 , Jan 2023

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The paper describes the main results of the characterization of the flight ASIC developed for the readout of a lithium-drifted silicon, Si(Li), detector-based tracker. The system aims to detect indirect signatures of dark matter through the identification of low-energy (\{< {0.25}},}text {GeV/n}\{<0.25GeV/n) cosmic-ray antiprotons, antideuterons, and antihelium. This instrument is developed in the frame of the GAPS (General AntiParticle Spectrometer) balloon experiment. The developed electronics consists of a 32-channels mixed-signal ASIC, designed in a commercial 180 nm CMOS technology and an ad-hoc front-end board (FEB). Data from charged particle detection are also reported.

2022

A Low-Noise Readout Channel for X-Ray Ptychography Applications

P. Lazzaroni, M. Hammer , M. Manghisoni , and 4 more authors

In 2022 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference (NSS/MIC) , Nov 2022

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In the present work, the design of a readout channel for a pixelated detector to be employed in X-ray ptychography is proposed and discussed. The channel is developed in a commercial 65 nm CMOS technology, features single photon detection at 5 keV, 9 keV, and 25 keV photons, with a noise of 250 e- rms, a power consumption of 220 \textmuW, and fits in an area of 150 \textmum \texttimes 150 \textmum. The readout channel is the elementary cell of an envisioned 128-by-128 pixel matrix and it is designed for operation at a 1 MHz conversion rate. A prototype 8-by-2 matrix, included in the pFREYA16 ASIC, was submitted to foundry to prove the feasibility of such detector. Preliminary noise evaluations, design considerations and post-layout simulation of a single pixel will be presented in this paper.
FALCON Readout Channel for X-ray Ptychography Applications

Paolo Lazzaroni, Michael Hammer , Massimo Manghisoni , and 3 more authors

In 2022 17th Conference on Ph.D Research in Microelectronics and Electronics (PRIME) , Jun 2022

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This work reports the current state of the development of a pixelated readout for nanometer resolution X-ray ptychography applications. A very dense, low-noise and low-power pixel developed in a commercial 65nm CMOS technology is envisioned for such applications, targeting a pixel area of 150 μm \texttimes 150 μm, an overall noise of 200e- rms and a power consumption of 150μW per pixel. In the paper, an introduction to the application and an overview of the experimental setup are given, the designed frontend channel is reported and revised in its components and simulation results of the schematic-level design are shown and discussed.