Bright infrared scintillators for gamma spectroscopy

W. W. Wolszczak

doi:10.1117/12.2595799

1 September 2021 Bright infrared scintillators for gamma spectroscopy

W. W. Wolszczak

Proceedings Volume 11838, Hard X-Ray, Gamma-Ray, and Neutron Detector Physics XXIII; 118380G (2021) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2595799
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2021, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Despite years of impressive progress in development of new scintillators for gamma spectroscopy, energy resolution offered is still lagging direct detection solid state devices. Even the best scintillators do not convert more than about 30% of the initial energy into photons, and this introduces the Poisson component in the photodetector, which can become a limiting factor. On top of that, the efficiency of scintillation is strongly dependent on excitation density, so not only the number of generated photons is smaller than the initial number of electron-hole pairs, but the conversion process is subjected to additional fluctuations due to ionization density fluctuation (nonproportionality on average and pulse-to-pulse fluctuations). This stochastic pulse-to-pulse variation contributes to resolution limitation. Further progress in improving energy resolution requires to address all these issues at the same time: starting from high electron-hole production efficiency, through energy conversion into light, and ending on matching scintillation emission with superior sensitivity and noise characteristic of a photodetector. One route points to small bandgap materials (such as “black scintillators”) which have potential for obtaining extremely high light yields and match well high quantum efficiency of silicon-based photodetectors. In recent works we showed that europium-doped scintillators can be converted into near infrared emitters by samarium co-doping and provide high energy resolution in gamma spectroscopy. Alternatively, novel metal halide perovskites may become the way to higher energy resolution goal, but there are some significant problems to be solved. The ideas developed with “black scintillators” may alleviate some of obstacles found in perovskites.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

W. W. Wolszczak "Bright infrared scintillators for gamma spectroscopy", Proc. SPIE 11838, Hard X-Ray, Gamma-Ray, and Neutron Detector Physics XXIII, 118380G (1 September 2021); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2595799

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available