One hundred metres underground, within a 27-kilometre tunnel straddling the Swiss-French border, lies the Large Hadron Collider, and soon, chips designed by a team from Macquarie University. Led by A/Professor Jafar Shojaii, the researchers have joined CERN’s LHCb experiment to develop advanced semiconductor technology that will sit just millimetres from where particles collide. “CERN selected us to deliver this project, and becoming an official technical member shows that we are one of the leading universities in chip design internationally,” explains A/Professor Shojaii.
Macquarie is unique as the only Australian university with a strategic research priority in semiconductor technology. Through strong engagement with universities in Italy and Switzerland, we are providing students with the opportunity to go to Europe and work with some of the best chip designers and scientists in the world, along with distinguished academics working with CERN. This collaboration aims to unlock clues about the universe’s origins in the moments after the Big Bang.
Macquarie University Joins CERN’s LHCb Experiment
Macquarie University is contributing a novel semiconductor chip design to CERN’s LHCb experiment, a project focused on detecting particles emerging from high-energy collisions within the Large Hadron Collider. These chips will sit just millimetres from where particles collide, representing a previously unbuilt architecture engineered for precise particle trace detection and recording.
A/Professor Jafar Shojaii explains the significance of this work, stating, “Knowing that something we’ve designed here could help enable discoveries in particle physics is incredibly motivating, and I’m excited to contribute to that effort.” The team’s work extends beyond simple design; years of fundamental research underpin the development of this complex technology, beginning with simulations of nuclear radiation effects on materials.
The chips are designed to function in an exceptionally demanding environment, requiring resilience against intense radiation and the ability to maintain reliable performance while detecting extremely faint signals at high speeds. “These chips are designed for one of the most demanding environments in science,” says Dr. Andrea Mazzanti, a postdoctoral researcher on the team. “They need to detect extremely small signals, operate at very high speed and continue performing reliably under intense radiation. That requires precision at every stage—it is painstaking work, but it is also what makes this project so exciting.”
Through strong engagement with universities in Italy and Switzerland, we are providing students with the opportunity to go to Europe and work with some of the best chip designers and scientists in the world, along with distinguished academics working with CERN. Ollie Salman, the first student selected for this program, benefited from mentorship within Macquarie’s semiconductor community during his master’s degree. The team remains involved in operating the chips over the decade that the detector is running, and emphasizes that final device delivery requires extensive evidence gathering and commissioning with CERN.
“Only once we’ve gathered all that evidence can we deliver the final functional device. Then we work with CERN on commissioning the chips into the particle detectors, and we remain involved in operating them over the decade that the detector is running.”
CERN selected us to deliver this project, and becoming an official technical member shows that we are one of the leading universities in chip design internationally.
Semiconductor Chip Design for Particle Collision Detection
The newly designed chips incorporate a novel architecture never before constructed, enabling detection and recording of particle traces from high-energy collisions. Each 1cm² chip houses billions of transistors, meticulously designed by hand to endure intense radiation while processing data from particles nearing light speed. This level of precision is essential; the team simulates, tests, and refines every component for years before deployment at CERN.
The chips’ complexity demands years of fundamental research before they are ready for integration into the LHCb detector, a device roughly the size of a three-storey building. “Delivering such a complex and advanced technology requires years of fundamental research,” Shojaii stated. The project also provides unique development opportunities for students like Ollie Salman, who benefited from mentorship within Macquarie’s semiconductor team.
“I was relatively new to chip design when I started, but working with such a strong team gave me the ability to develop quickly,” Salman said. His involvement extends beyond career advancement; he views the work as a contribution to understanding the universe.
Reported events include a recent partnership with the University of Liverpool on a 20-year project focused on beam technology, and particle detectors assembled in Kansas were tested at Fermilab before deployment at CERN. CERN developed six Timepix chips currently deployed on NASA’s Artemis II mission to measure radiation exposure, demonstrating the versatility of its detector technology. “For me, it’s about doing something meaningful,” a researcher stated, encapsulating the team’s dedication to this ambitious scientific endeavor.
Macquarie is unique in that it is the only Australian university with a strategic research priority in semiconductor technology. There is no other university in Australia operating at this level, both in terms of the scale of the research and the expertise of the people involved.
Radiation-Hardened Transistors Enable High-Energy Physics
The team’s approach begins with fundamental simulations of nuclear radiation effects in materials, establishing a bedrock understanding of how to mitigate damage within integrated circuits. This foundational work informs the search for solutions to protect millions of transistors integrated onto a single device, ensuring reliable operation under the most demanding conditions. The engineering challenge is extraordinary, requiring years of fundamental research before a functional device emerges. This sustained engagement extends beyond initial deployment; researchers remain integral to operating and refining the technology in a live high-energy physics environment.
Based on that understanding, we need to find solutions for how we deal with these effects when we have millions of transistors integrated onto a single device. We then have to make sure the device can operate while mitigating these effects under extremely demanding requirements.
Student Integration Advances International Chip Technology
Macquarie University’s commitment to fostering the next generation of semiconductor experts extends beyond Australian borders, with students now directly involved in the fabrication and deployment of chips at CERN. The integration of students like Ollie Salman into the project benefits from a mentorship structure built within Macquarie’s semiconductor community, beginning during master’s-level studies. This approach allows for a natural progression into complex international collaborations, bypassing the need for formal application processes and capitalizing on established relationships.
The scale of this student involvement is noteworthy, as each participant gains expertise applicable far beyond particle physics. “After completing their PhDs, they will each have a very unique set of skills that will set them apart from the rest of the world,” Shojaii stated. This emphasis on skill development aligns with CERN’s broader initiatives, including partnerships with Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech and Google Quantum AI, which aim to bridge the gap between fundamental research and emerging technologies.
CERN’s recent focus on artificial intelligence demonstrated by the University of Chicago team’s award-winning AI filter, further underscores this commitment to innovation. CERN was founded in 1954 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, reflecting a long tradition of international collaboration and technological advancement.
Knowing that something we’ve designed here could help enable discoveries in particle physics is incredibly motivating, and I’m excited to contribute to that effort.
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