Liquid-scintillator-based detectors are a robust technology that scales well to large volumes. For this reason, they are attractive for experiments searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay. A combination of improved photo-detection technology and
novel liquid scintillators may allow for the extraction of particle direction in addition to the total energy of the particle. Such an advance would find applications beyond searches for neutrinoless double-beta decay.
The last decade has been the decade of nanotechnology, a length scale which is of particular interest since it is here that we see the transition from the classical to the quantum world. In this transition to the quantum regime new phenomena appear t
hat have proven valuable in a wide range of applications. This whitepaper focusses on the simplest nanotechnology, the spherical nanoparticles and their possible application to particle physics.
Liquid scintillator detectors are widely used in modern neutrino studies. The unique optical properties of semiconducting nanocrystals, known as quantum dots, offer intriguing possibilities for improving standard liquid scintillator, especially when
combined with new photodetection technology. Quantum dots also provide a means to dope scintillator with candidate isotopes for neutrinoless double beta decay searches. In this work, the first studies of the scintillation properties of quantum-dot-doped liquid scintillator using both UV light and radioactive sources are presented.
