Dr Irene Bolognino

I am an astroparticle physicist with extensive hands-on experience across dark matter, neutrinos, cosmic rays, and gamma-astronomy, and my research spans multiple international collaborations and institutes, giving me comprehensive expertise in both experimental techniques and detector development. This breadth means that I cover all major areas of astroparticle physics, working at the intersection of particle physics and astrophysics, where fundamental interactions, cosmological questions, and cutting-edge instrumentation come together. 

A key strength of my scientific profile is my rare combination of both hardware and software skills: I design and build instrumentation, develop new detector technologies, and at the same time create data-analysis frameworks and simulation tools. This versatility allows me to open new research directions with agility, to design innovative R&D programs from scratch, and to develop sophisticated data analyses tailored to novel detector concepts.

I am currently expanding the laboratory at the North Terrace campus, which now hosts several distinct projects across R&D, experimental work, and dedicated facilities. 

Students are very welcome to join any of my projects, with opportunities ranging from hands-on experimental work to data analysis and simulations.

Dark matter direct detection

I am a member of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics and part of the SABRE collaboration, where I lead the detector calibrations and also serve as Chair of the Speakers Committee. SABRE consists of two twin low-background sodium-iodide detectors: SABRE North, located at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) in the Northern Hemisphere, and SABRE South, currently being commissioned in Victoria, Australia. 

I am the only researcher with a dual affiliation between the Adelaide University and INFN Milano, a role that enables me to act as an intellectual and organisational bridge between the two hemispheric collaborations. Having worked directly on both detectors, I contribute to the integration of calibration strategies, analysis methods, and detector characterisation across the entire project.

I am also a member of the CYGNUS collaboration, an international effort dedicated to developing directional detectors capable of identifying the incoming direction of dark matter particles. As part of this effort, we are installing a new CYGNUS prototype in Adelaide to study Micromegas readout technologies—precision gaseous detectors capable of reconstructing low-energy nuclear recoil tracks with high granularity. 

This prototype will enable detailed R&D on detector optimisation, background rejection techniques, and high-resolution charge-readout systems, and will form the basis for a new local research program integrated within the global CYGNUS effort.
 

R&D Developments at Adelaide University

Another key part of my research program is MonA LiSA, a new facility that I lead as Principal Investigator. MonA LiSA is a small cylindrical liquid-scintillator detector that we use as a safe, flexible environment to test ideas before they are applied to large underground experiments. It allows us to study how photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) behave, how to calibrate them with high precision, and how light travels inside a scintillator. We also use it to develop new reconstruction algorithms for “sparse” detector geometries and to investigate how cosmic rays produce light signals. Students working on MonA LiSA gain very practical, hands-on experience: from helping with the mechanical setup and electronics, to running data acquisition, analysing signals, and learning how a real detector is built and operated.

Connected to MonA LiSA, I am also expanding a dedicated Photonics and Photosensor Test Bench at the North Terrace campus. This is an advanced R&D area where we characterise photosensors—from traditional PMTs to modern silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs)—using picosecond laser systems, optical fibres, calibrated light sources, and dark boxes. The test bench lets us measure key properties such as timing resolution, gain, photon-detection efficiency, noise rates, and after-pulsing. It also supports studies of optical materials, couplings, wavelength shifters, and new light-calibration techniques. The goal is to give students direct access to high-quality instrumentation so they can learn by doing: aligning lasers, setting up digitizers, writing acquisition scripts, and performing careful measurements under very low-light conditions.

Together, MonA LiSA and the photonics test bench form a complete training and research pipeline—from basic sensor studies all the way to testing full detector concepts. Students joining these projects become comfortable working with hardware, electronics, optical systems, and data analysis, and they develop a set of highly transferrable skills that are increasingly valuable in both academia and industry.

Quantum technologies

In parallel to my astroparticle work, I am strongly involved in quantum technologies, where I apply low-background detector techniques to the development of next-generation quantum sensors. I am co-leader of a Marie Curie Staff Exchange that links underground physics with quantum science, focusing on superconducting devices, ultra-low-noise readout systems, and advanced cryogenic instrumentation. This program allows students and researchers to work across Europe, Australia and the US, forming a bridge between particle physics and the rapidly growing quantum-technology sector.

In 2025, I secured additional funding to open a new research line on quantum measurements using the MonA LiSA facility. This project explores how a fully controlled scintillator detector can be used to test quantum-level light emission and ultra-low-photon processes, taking advantage of MonA LiSA’s radiopure environment and precision calibration system. By combining quantum optics, photon statistics, and detector physics, the project creates a unique training ground where students can work hands-on with lasers, single-photon sensors, and state-of-the-art electronics, while contributing to cutting-edge research that connects fundamental physics with quantum technology applications.

Neutrino Physics

Building on my long-standing experience in neutrino physics—including work on solar and reactor neutrinos—I am also involved in the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, the world’s largest neutrino detector embedded deep in the Antarctic ice. Within IceCube, my research focuses on neutrino data analysis and on the search for dark matter through neutrino signatures, bringing together particle-physics expertise, advanced statistical tools, and large-scale simulations. IceCube offers a unique window onto extreme astrophysical environments and fundamental interactions, and students joining this project can contribute to analysis pipelines, simulation studies, or targeted physics searches, with opportunities in both data analysis and modelling.

LiDiR: Ultra-Sensitive Light Detectors System to Advance Multidisciplinary Research

I am also leading LIDIR, an interdisciplinary project applying ultra-low-light photon detection techniques—originally developed for rare-event physics—to the study of biophoton emission in living systems. LIDIR explores whether cells produce extremely faint, structured light signals linked to metabolic or stress-related processes, using high-sensitivity photonics, low-background techniques, and advanced statistical analysis. The project sits at the boundary between physics and the life sciences, offering exciting opportunities for students interested in innovative applications of photon detection beyond traditional particle-physics environments.

Below two links about my recent activities: I was interviewed by the COSMOS magazine about my work and I gave a public lecture for the Astronomical Society of South Australia:

• “Why dark matter matters” https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/why-dark-matter-matters/)
• Public lecture, “The Hunt for Dark Matter in a Gold Mine in Australia”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN-Pgc72AJI