Single Layer Gamma-Ray Polarimeter for Medical Imaging Applications and Fundamental Physics Research

Project funded by Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ) (Programme Research Cooperability), grant PZS-2019-02-5829. Participating organisations named by the source: Prirodoslovno-matematički fakultet, Zagreb; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science. Funded amount: EUR 291,532, as stated by the source. Runs 2019-10-01 to 2023-05-31. Keywords: Scintillation detectors, Gamma polarization, Compton imaging, Positron emission tomography, Quantum entanglement. Source: OpenAIRE Graph, from the funder's project data (collected by OpenAIRE on 2026-07-23); national funding data, not CORDIS; selected because its keywords name quantum. Abstract given by the source: Gamma-ray polarization information is valuable in many areas of contemporary physics research. An example in fundamental sector is the phenomenon of quantum entanglement, which may be investigated by analyzing relative polarizations of three gammas originating from ortho-positronium decay. In applications, an important case is the biomedical imaging with Positron Emission Tomography (PET), where it has been shown by simulated model studies, that the polarization information, which is not exploited in existing PET systems, has the potential to improve the image quality. The polarization of a gamma photon can be determined from its Compton scattering, where it produces a recoil electron and a scattered photon. For reconstruction of Compton events, one needs position and energy-sensitive detectors, usually encompassing two layers, for detection of the electron and the scattered photon, respectively. However, in many applications where detectors are highly granular and contain many channels, such as PET, a system based on two-layer readout would be costly. In this project we will construct a new, modular detector system for gamma polarization measurements, based on single-layer Compton scattering detectors. A module will contain an array of scintillators, read-out by silicon photomultipliers. Compared to two-layer detectors, the single-layer concept offers a possibility to construct more cost-efficient, compact and versatile devices. We will assemble a sixteen-module system, which will be used in two applications: first, to evaluate experimentally for the first time the feasibility of using the information about gamma-ray polarization in PET, as an important step towards the next generation of more efficient medical imaging devices, and second, to analyze the azimuthal correlations of three gammas from ortho-positronium decay in order to investigate entanglement as a fundamental concept of quantum physics.

Original source.

Source: OpenAIRE Graph: projects of national funders, OpenAIRE, from the project data of Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ). Retrieved 2026-10-22. Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (OpenAIRE Graph). Selected metadata, adapted presentation; the publisher's record is authoritative. No endorsement by the source is implied. Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).

AI-assisted summary: A project funded by the Croatian Science Foundation, running from 2019 to 2023, aims to develop a single layer gamma-ray polarimeter for medical imaging and fundamental physics research, with a focus on scintillation detectors and quantum entanglement. Suggested technology pillar: sensing. Generated by AI from the public source text; it may contain errors and the original source is authoritative.