Cryogenic Detectors: From Their Fundamental Physics to Their Applications in Space

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue “Cryogenic Detectors: From Their Fundamental Physics to Their Applications in Space” aims to provide a comprehensive platform for presenting recent progress, emerging challenges, and future directions in cryogenic sensing technologies. Operating from millikelvin to low-kelvin temperatures, these detectors play a pivotal role in a broad range of scientific disciplines, with applications spanning particle and astroparticle physics, cosmology, quantum information science, condensed-matter research, and space instrumentation. Their exceptional sensitivity and ability to resolve faint or low-energy signals have driven breakthroughs in fields such as dark-matter detection, neutrino experiments, gravitational-wave observatories, and high-resolution spectroscopy across the electromagnetic spectrum.

This Special Issue welcomes original research articles, technical developments, and reviews related to the design, fabrication, characterization, and deployment of cryogenic sensors. Relevant topics include superconducting detectors (TES, MKID, SNSPD), cryogenic bolometers and calorimeters, quantum sensors, micro- and nanofabrication approaches, and cryogenic readout electronics such as SQUID-based and microwave multiplexing architectures. Studies addressing system-level integration, thermal design, reliability, and packaging for long-term or space-based operation are also of interest. Areas of application include dark-matter and neutrino experiments, precision spectroscopy, astrophysical observations, quantum measurements, and cryogenic imaging systems.

By gathering contributions from both academic and industrial communities, this Special Issue aims to provide an updated overview of current trends in cryogenic detector research and to highlight innovative approaches that support next-generation sensors and instrumentation.

Dr. Emanuele Taralli
Guest Editor

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