Transverse-electric Cherenkov Radiation for TeV-Scale Particle Detection

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel graphene-based Cherenkov radiation detector utilizing transverse-electric plasmons with near-unity refractive index, enabling detection of particles with TeV-scale momenta beyond current limitations.

Contribution

The work demonstrates directional Cherenkov radiation from TE graphene plasmons with near-unity mode index, allowing ultrahigh-energy particle detection up to TeV-scale momenta, surpassing existing detectors.

Findings

TE graphene plasmons exhibit near-unity mode index.

Cherenkov angle remains sensitive up to TeV energies.

Platform is electrically tunable and highly robust.

Abstract

Cherenkov radiation enables high-energy particle identification through its velocity-dependent emission angle, yet conventional detectors fail to detect momenta beyond tens of GeV/c owing to the absence of natural materials with near-unity refractive indices. We overcome this limitation by demonstrating directional Cherenkov radiation from transverse-electric (TE) graphene plasmons, excited by a swift charged particle travelling above suspended monolayer graphene. Crucially, TE graphene plasmons exhibit a near-unity mode index, sustaining high sensitivity of the Cherenkov angle to relativistic velocities up to the TeV/c regime. The radiation further maintains exceptional robustness against particle-graphene separation changes, enabled by the TE mode's low transverse decay rate. This ultracompact platform is electrically tunable, allowing on-chip, reconfigurable detection of ultrahigh-energy particles and extending measurable momenta by two orders of magnitude beyond existing detectors.