Abstract
Gamma-ray detection and spectroscopy is the quantitative determination of their energy spectra, and is of critical value and critically important in diverse technological and scientific fields. Here we report an improved melt growth method for cesium lead bromide and a special detector design with asymmetrical metal electrode configuration that leads to a high performance at room temperature. As-grown centimeter-sized crystals possess extremely low impurity levels (below 10 p.p.m. for total 69 elements) and detectors achieve 3.9% energy resolution for 122 keV 57Co gamma-ray and 3.8% for 662 keV 137Cs gamma-ray. Cesium lead bromide is unique among all gamma-ray detection materials in that its hole transport properties are responsible for the high performance. The superior mobility-lifetime product for holes (1.34 × 10-3 cm2 V-1) derives mainly from the record long hole carrier lifetime (over 25 μs). The easily scalable crystal growth and high-energy resolution, highlight cesium lead bromide as an exceptional next generation material for room temperature radiation detection.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 1609 |
| Journal | Nature communications |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 1 2018 |
Funding
This work was partially supported by the Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development under contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357 (Argonne National Laboratory). This work was also supported by the Department of Homeland Security ARI program with grant 2014-DN-077-ARI086-01 (Y.H., Z.L., and B.W.W.). This work made use of the EPIC facility of Northwestern University’s NUANCE Center, which has received support from the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS-1542205); the MRSEC program (NSF DMR-1720139) at the Materials Research Center; the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN); the Keck Foundation; and the State of Illinois, through the IIN. The time-resolved measurements in this work were performed with support from the Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, DOE under grant no. DE-FG02-99ER14999 (M.C. and M.R.W.). A.B. and L.M. thank DHS/DNDO ARI program, grant DHS-2014-DN-077-ARI076-04 for support. We also thank Dr. Alexander Rettie for performing the Seebeck coefficient measurement at Argonne National Laboratory. This work was partially supported by the Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development under contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357 (Argonne National Laboratory). This work was also supported by the Department of Homeland Security ARI program with grant 2014-DN-077-ARI086-01 (Y.H., Z.L., and B.W.W.). This work made use of the EPIC facility of Northwestern University's NUANCE Center, which has received support from the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS-1542205); the MRSEC program (NSF DMR-1720139) at the Materials Research Center; the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN); the Keck Foundation; and the State of Illinois, through the IIN. The time-resolved measurements in this work were performed with support from the Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, DOE under grant no. DE-FG02- 99ER14999 (M.C. and M.R.W.). A.B. and L.M. thank DHS/DNDO ARI program, grant DHS-2014-DN-077-ARI076-04 for support. We also thank Dr. Alexander Rettie for performing the Seebeck coefficient measurement at Argonne National Laboratory.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Chemistry
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
- General Physics and Astronomy