At Politecnico di Milano, radiation measurements – from neutrons to ultrafast beams, dosimetry to tomography – become knowledge, bridging basic research and real-world applications.
The Nuclear Measurement Laboratory (NML) focuses on the research, application, and development of methods for harnessing and measuring radiation fields of various types and properties. Based at Politecnico di Milano, NML transforms neutrons, photons and charged particles from “invisible matter” into measurable and traceable information to support research, radiation protection and nuclear applications. Most activities are funded through national and international projects and span spectrometry, dosimetry and microdosimetry of complex and mixed radiation fields, nuclear signal analysis, and the development of innovative detection systems and data workflows.
Active neutron spectroscopy in complex fields
Neutrons are a particularly demanding frontier, especially under extreme conditions such as in fusion facilities, high-energy radiation fields, and pulsed beam environments. NML will address these challenges by developing new active neutron spectrometers that are both isotropic and directionally sensitive through iterative cycles of advanced simulations (e.g., FLUKA-based modeling) and rigorous experimental validation. One illustrative example is DIAMON. DIAMON is a compact, direction-aware, isotropic, active instrument designed for rapid, real-time characterization of complex neutron fields where conventional techniques would be too time-consuming or have high operational demands.
Neutron irradiation and measurement services
The NML includes neutron irradiation infrastructure that provides enhanced thermal and fast neutron fields, enabling radiometric characterization services both in the laboratory and in the field. The company’s neutron measurement services include fast neutron reference fields based on neutron sources and support calibration according to ISO 8529-1:2021 (neutron reference radiation fields). A complementary facility that generates a 95% pure thermal neutron field through a streaming decelerator is available for instrument and sample characterization under controlled, low-energy conditions.
Diagnostics of ultrafast sources and laser drives
Another area of research refers to radiation delivered in ultrashort bursts, such as laser-driven proton beams. In these regimes, diagnosis has to deal with temporary fields and strong backgrounds. The study includes an active diagnostic concept that combines a magnetic spectrometer and a pixelated detector to measure the energy spectrum of emitted protons, which is supported by prototype development and a calibration campaign. In parallel, the use of CCD sensors in laser-driven PIXE (particle-induced X-ray emission) is also being investigated to obtain X-ray spectra by integration over multiple laser shots, allowing meaningful spectroscopic studies even when single-shot statistics are limited.
RETINA: Non-destructive elemental and tomographic analysis
NML hosts RETINA (Elemental Recognition and Tomographic Imaging for Non-Destructive Analysis), a facility designed for non-destructive materials analysis that combines X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy and 2D/3D X-ray imaging. Equipped with a high-power X-ray tube, automatic sample positioning, and high-resolution detectors, RETINA supports qualitative and quantitative analysis of planar samples such as thin films, polymer membranes, and battery electrodes. Rapid elemental mapping can be performed with spatial resolutions ranging from millimeters to centimeters scale. Depending on sample size and configuration, X-ray imaging and 3D scanning can achieve spatial resolutions of approximately 60 µm to 1 mm.
Micro and nanodosimetry for particle therapy
A major research line is working on micro- and nanodosimetry of particle therapy beams, where the biological response depends not only on the irradiation dose but also on how the energy is stored on the micrometer and nanometer scales. The NML research group is developing a tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) based on the avalanche confinement concept to reproduce cells and intracellular interaction sites. Dedicated Monte Carlo tools support detector modeling and data interpretation, as well as complementary studies on nuclear reaction channels relevant to new therapeutics (e.g. heteroneutral fusion reaction p + ¹¹B → 3α). Solid-state dosimetry and silicon-based microdosimetry further expand the measurement portfolio.
Microstructural insights powered by batteries and AI
A recent field of application is electrochemical systems for energy storage or conversion. NML operates a system (TESCAN UniTOM HR) for ultrafast 3D or 4D microtomography with resolutions up to 600 nm, allowing quantitative studies of microstructural degradation, dendritic nucleation and propagation, and morphological changes during cycling. To speed up and enhance quantitative analysis, AI-driven segmentation, defect detection, and denoising approaches are integrated into the workflow to help link microstructural descriptors to functional performance metrics. At the same time, we aim to reduce acquisition time without sacrificing measurement robustness.
Supporting the entire life cycle of radiation facilities
The laboratory contributes throughout the life cycle of nuclear and radiological infrastructure, from early design stages to late operational stages. That is, Monte Carlo studies for shielding and activation, support for nuclear medicine facility design, and downstream activities including radioactive waste management in environments such as isotope production accelerators and treatment centers and radioactive characterization both in the field and in the laboratory using high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy (HPGe).
Looking to the future
Combining advanced metrology, modeling, and rigorous metrology, the Nuclear Metrology Laboratory sits at the intersection of physics, engineering, and data science, serving as both a research and development hub and a resource for external users. The direction is clear. Smarter detectors, advanced experimental tools, more predictive simulations, and more automated and auditable pipelines where AI supports (but does not replace) traceability and uncertainty-aware decision-making to deliver reliable radiation measurements from controlled laboratory settings to real-world applications.
This article will also be published in the quarterly magazine issue 25.
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