Growth and Characterization of Nanostructured Glass Ceramic Scintillators for Miniature High-Energy Radiation Sensors

Abstract

Synthesis and characterization of scintillation crystals was performed at the Los Alamos National Lab (LANL). Melt quenching and sol-gel synthesis were applied to prepare various glass ceramic scintillators. For the first time ever, a glass ceramic containing 35 mol% LaF3:Ce3+ was made. Differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, photoluminescence and radioluminescence spectroscopy, and FTIR/Raman spectroscopy and neutron scattering measurements were performed. Temporal dynamics was investigated by ultra-short bursts of XUV radiation at UNM. The rise time was resolved using Kerr gating technique with 8 ps resolution. Spectro-temporal dynamics was resolved using streak camera and tunable pump at second/third harmonic (400/267nm) and XUV. Observed rise time scaling is consistent with chromophore trap dynamics. Rise time of ~80ps in glass ceramics was measured for the first time. Varying plasma parameters as well as excitation pulse characteristics optimized XUV generation efficiency by 40 times compared to standard yield. Combined with improved collection efficiency, newly developed UNM scintillation dynamics lab is now ready for characterization of various scintillators for future material optimization.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA591604

Entities

People

  • Mansoor Sheik-bahae

Organizations

  • University of New Mexico

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Detectors
  • Diffraction
  • Electron Microscopy
  • Fluorescence
  • Glass Transition Temperature
  • Laser Pulses
  • Magnetic Resonance
  • Measurement
  • Neutron Scattering
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
  • Optical Materials
  • Optics
  • Raman Spectroscopy
  • Scattering
  • Spectra
  • Spectroscopy
  • Transition Temperature

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Nanoscale Plasmonic Nanotechnology
  • Nuclear and Radiation Engineering.
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Graphene