Particle physics readout electronics and novel detector technologies for neutron science

Traditional thermal neutron detectors are based on Helium-3 as conversion and detection material due to its large neutron cross-section. The difficult availability of this converter and the simultaneous higher demand for neutron detectors lead to the investigation of alternatives. Solid converters with a large thermal cross-section as boron or gadolinium, which emit charged particles when hit by a neutron are a prominent type. Similar to the concepts in particle physics, the techniques then rely on charged particle detection. A prime example is the Gadolinium Gas Electron Multiplier (GdGEM) detector for the NMX instrument at ESS.