Combinatorial Screening of Advanced Scintillators for High Resolution X-Ray Detectors

72587-Scintillators have been used for several decades as the primary technique for detecting charged particles such as protons, electrons, alpha particles, and heavy ions, as well as neutrons, X-rays, and gamma rays. However, existing scintillators have some serious shortcomings, and there is a great need for scintillators that are efficient, fast, heavy, and low cost. This project will use combinatorial synthesis, single crystal growth, and transparent ceramic preparation to discover and fabricate new scintillator materials that have high light output, short decay time, high x-ray stopping power, and low cost. In Phase I, five new scintillator materials were identified with superior properties. For example, the scintillator material Bi7.38Zr0.62O12.31 possessed higher density and much higher light output than PbWO4. In Phase II, the discovery process for advanced scintillators will be expanded to ternary and quadric compound systems, using the combinatorial process developed in Phase I. Single crystals and transparent ceramics will be prepared, using the compositions identified in Phase I, and the characterization of these new scintillator materials will be completed. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by awardee: The development of new scintillator materials with faster response times, higher density, greater radiation hardness, and higher energy efficiencies should provide significant advantages in a variety of applications including security (such as airport) inspections, medical diagnosis, well-logging, industrial non-destructive evaluation (NDE), and physics and chemistry research.