Detectors Research Facility

The GE Research Detectors Facility develops radiation detection solutions designed to achieve world-class system performance, cost and reliability in a variety of defense, security and commercial applications. Working in cross-functional teams, our detector experts design and build radiation detector subsystems and integrated solutions that have enabled breakthroughs in commercial medical imaging products such as Signa PET/MR (SiPM based TOF PET detector), Discovery MI PET/CT, Revolution CT, and CZT-based preclinical SPECT systems.
 

Our engineers and scientists have also demonstrated large-area (>1mm²) silicon carbide UV solid-state photomultipliers (SiC-SSPM) with single-photon detection capability and operating temperatures above 200°C. SiC-SSPMs enable high-temperature downhole radiation detection with improved performance and reliability, UV communications and chemical and biological detection.

Homeland security is another area of interest for the Detectors Lab. By combining video tracking and Compton cameras and conventional detectors, our teams have developed motion-compensated radiation imaging that can rapidly and accurately locate moving radiation sources and discriminate between threats from non-threats.
 

A combination of extensive expertise in radiation physics and Monte Carlo simulation and high-end laboratory equipment and facilities (including up to 2.5 GHz and 40 GS/s digital and analog oscilloscopes, broad range of radioactive sources and approved facilities for their use, fast pulsed laser sources for characterization of SSPMs, temperature-controlled test equipment, etc.) enable our scientists and engineers to demonstrate fundamental advances in detectors technologies and integrate them into prototypes for real-life performance evaluation and commercial systems.