Scientists from the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences are among the thousands of researchers worldwide honored with the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, awarded to the ATLAS Collaboration at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) alongside its sister experiments ALICE, CMS and LHCb.
ATLAS is one of the largest and most complex scientific instruments ever built. As a general-purpose particle detector measuring over 40 metres in length and around 25 metres in height, it was designed to investigate the fundamental building blocks of matter and the forces governing our universe. Its cutting-edge systems track particles produced in particle collisions at unprecedented energies, enabling discoveries like the Higgs boson and searches for new physics beyond the Standard Model.
The Breakthrough Prize specifically highlights the ATLAS Collaboration’s significant contributions to particle physics, including detailed measurements of Higgs boson properties, studies of rare processes and matter-antimatter asymmetry, and the exploration of nature under the most extreme conditions.
“The Breakthrough Prize is a testament to the dedication and ingenuity of the ATLAS Collaboration and our colleagues across the LHC experiments,” said ATLAS Spokesperson Stephane Willocq. "This prize recognises the collective vision and monumental effort of thousands of ATLAS collaborators worldwide.”
“I am extremely proud to see the extraordinary accomplishments of the LHC collaborations honoured with this prestigious Prize,” said Fabiola Gianotti, Director-General of CERN. “It is a beautiful recognition of the collective efforts, dedication, competence and hard work of thousands of people from all over the world who contribute daily to pushing the boundaries of human knowledge.”
The University of Sheffield has been at the forefront of ATLAS research since 1995, contributing to:
Construction and operation of the Semiconductor Tracker (SCT), a critical part of the ATLAS Detector for measuring charged particles. Specifically, semiconductor sensor development and testing in Sheffield, as well as SCT cooling integration at CERN, before these components found their final home in the ATLAS cavern.
Development of software, including that used for particle reconstruction, enabling the Higgs boson discovery. Sheffield physicists have made major contributions in the software and computing of the ATLAS experiment. Members of our group have held major roles in this area, with one Sheffield academic having been elected as responsible for the entire ATLAS software and computing infrastructure during 2018-2019.
The Sheffield ATLAS group made major contributions to the Higgs boson discovery. One of our academics was corresponding editor of the ATLAS Higgs boson discovery publication. Subsequently, our group has made significant contributions in the effort to extract the Higgs boson properties and elucidate its nature.
Sheffield physicists have made major contributions in many other exciting observations made with the ATLAS detector, expanding our understanding of the strong and electroweak forces.
Leadership in data analysis, significant coordination responsibilities across multiple areas, and shaping of the experiment's scientific direction. Among other roles held by members of our group, a Sheffield academic was elected as responsible for coordinating all ATLAS physics measurements from 2016-2017.
"Our team's work on tracking detectors, novel software algorithms, and searches for new physics, exemplify the innovation driving ATLAS forward," said Trevor Vickey, Reader at the University of Sheffield. "This recognition affirms the impact of our contributions and inspires us to continue exploring the universe’s most fundamental questions."
"The successes of Run 2 showcase the ingenuity of the ATLAS Collaboration — not only in collecting data with a detector of outstanding precision, but also in our relentless drive to improve our understanding of it," said Andreas Hoecker, former ATLAS Spokesperson.
While the ATLAS Collaboration celebrates the recognition of the Breakthrough Prize, its focus remains firmly on the future. The third operation period of the LHC is currently underway and preparations for the High-Luminosity LHC upgrade are advancing rapidly. Sheffield's team of 25 physicists, including academics Dr. Christos Anastopoulos, Prof. Davide Costanzo, Dr. Kristin Lohwasser, Prof. Dan Tovey, and Dr. Trevor Vickey, engineers and technicians, are deeply involved in preparing ATLAS for its next chapter. They are leading the development of the Inner Tracker (ITk) for the High-Luminosity LHC, which will increase collision rates tenfold when it begins operation in 2030.
“We are now preparing the ATLAS detectors of the future — designed to harness these unprecedented data and further push our understanding of the universe’s fundamental building blocks,” concludes Willocq.
More information about CERN and the experiments can be found via the links below: