End-to-End Optimal Detector Design with Mutual Information Surrogates

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Wozniak, Kinga Anna, Mulligan, Stephen, Kieseler, Jan, Klute, Markus, Fleuret, Francois, Golling, Tobias
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Wozniak, Kinga Anna
Mulligan, Stephen
Kieseler, Jan
Klute, Markus
Fleuret, Francois
Golling, Tobias
author_facet Wozniak, Kinga Anna
Mulligan, Stephen
Kieseler, Jan
Klute, Markus
Fleuret, Francois
Golling, Tobias
contents We introduce a novel approach for end-to-end black-box optimization of high energy physics (HEP) detectors using local deep learning (DL) surrogates. These surrogates approximate a scalar objective function that encapsulates the complex interplay of particle-matter interactions and physics analysis goals. In addition to a standard reconstruction-based metric commonly used in the field, we investigate the information-theoretic metric of mutual information. Unlike traditional methods, mutual information is inherently task-agnostic, offering a broader optimization paradigm that is less constrained by predefined targets. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method in a realistic physics analysis scenario: optimizing the thicknesses of calorimeter detector layers based on simulated particle interactions. The surrogate model learns to approximate objective gradients, enabling efficient optimization with respect to energy resolution. Our findings reveal three key insights: (1) end-to-end black-box optimization using local surrogates is a practical and compelling approach for detector design, providing direct optimization of detector parameters in alignment with physics analysis goals; (2) mutual information-based optimization yields design choices that closely match those from state-of-the-art physics-informed methods, indicating that these approaches operate near optimality and reinforcing their reliability in HEP detector design; and (3) information-theoretic methods provide a powerful, generalizable framework for optimizing scientific instruments. By reframing the optimization process through an information-theoretic lens rather than domain-specific heuristics, mutual information enables the exploration of new avenues for discovery beyond conventional approaches.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_14342
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle End-to-End Optimal Detector Design with Mutual Information Surrogates
Wozniak, Kinga Anna
Mulligan, Stephen
Kieseler, Jan
Klute, Markus
Fleuret, Francois
Golling, Tobias
Machine Learning
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
We introduce a novel approach for end-to-end black-box optimization of high energy physics (HEP) detectors using local deep learning (DL) surrogates. These surrogates approximate a scalar objective function that encapsulates the complex interplay of particle-matter interactions and physics analysis goals. In addition to a standard reconstruction-based metric commonly used in the field, we investigate the information-theoretic metric of mutual information. Unlike traditional methods, mutual information is inherently task-agnostic, offering a broader optimization paradigm that is less constrained by predefined targets. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method in a realistic physics analysis scenario: optimizing the thicknesses of calorimeter detector layers based on simulated particle interactions. The surrogate model learns to approximate objective gradients, enabling efficient optimization with respect to energy resolution. Our findings reveal three key insights: (1) end-to-end black-box optimization using local surrogates is a practical and compelling approach for detector design, providing direct optimization of detector parameters in alignment with physics analysis goals; (2) mutual information-based optimization yields design choices that closely match those from state-of-the-art physics-informed methods, indicating that these approaches operate near optimality and reinforcing their reliability in HEP detector design; and (3) information-theoretic methods provide a powerful, generalizable framework for optimizing scientific instruments. By reframing the optimization process through an information-theoretic lens rather than domain-specific heuristics, mutual information enables the exploration of new avenues for discovery beyond conventional approaches.
title End-to-End Optimal Detector Design with Mutual Information Surrogates
topic Machine Learning
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.14342