Scintillating materials, articles employing the same, and methods for their use

1. A scintillator, comprising:

a composition having a formula A 2 LnBX 6 , wherein;

A comprises thallium (Tl), a Group IA element, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing;

Ln comprises cerium (Ce) at a level greater than 0.2;

B comprises a Group IA element; and,

X comprises a halide compound, wherein the halide compound comprises two or more from the group consisting of iodine (I), fluoride (F), chloride (Cl), and bromide (Br).

2. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein A is selected from the group consisting of Cs, K, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing;

Ln further comprises a second element selected from the group consisting of La, Gd, Lu, Bi, Y, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing second elements; and,

B is selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing.

3. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein A comprises Cs, B comprises Na, and X comprises Br and I.

4. The scintillator of claim 3 , wherein X is Br 4 I 2 .

5. The scintillator of claim 3 , wherein X is Br 3 I 3 .

6. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein A comprises Cs, B comprises Na, and X comprises Cl and I.

7. The scintillator of claim 6 , wherein X is Cl 5 I.

8. The scintillator of claim 6 , wherein X is Cl 3 I 3 .

9. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein Ln further comprises a second element selected from the group consisting of La, Y, Gd, Lu, Pr, Ce, Bi, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing.

10. The scintillator of claim 1 , further comprising a tetragonal crystalline structure.

11. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein A comprises a different Group IA element than B.

12. A scintillator, comprising:

a composition having a formula A 2 LnBX 6 , wherein;

A comprises Tl, a Group IA element, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing;

Ln is Ce at a level greater than 0.2;

B comprises a Group IA element, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing, and wherein the B is different than the A; and,

X comprises a halide compound, wherein the halide compound comprises two or more from the group consisting of iodine (I), fluoride (F) chloride (Cl), and bromide (Br).

13. A radiation detector comprising:

a crystal scintillator having a formula of A 2 LnBX 6 , wherein;

A comprises thallium (Tl), a Group IA element, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing;

Ln comprises cerium at a level greater than 0.2;

B comprises a Group IA element;

X comprises a halide compound, wherein the halide compound comprises two or more from the group consisting of iodine (I), fluoride (F), chloride (Cl), and bromide (Br); and,

a photodetector connected in operational communication to the crystal scintillator, wherein the photodetector is capable of producing an electrical signal upon scintillation of the scintillator.

14. The radiation detector of claim 13 , wherein the photodetector is at least one device selected from the group consisting of a photomultiplier tube, a photodiode, a charge coupled device sensor, and an image intensifier.

15. The radiation detector of claim 13 , wherein the photodetector is operably connected to a well-logging tool.

16. The radiation detector of claim 13 , wherein the photodetector is operably connected to a positron emission tomography (PET) device.

17. The radiation detector of claim 13 , wherein the photodetector is operably connected to a computed tomography (CT) device.

18. The radiation detector of claim 13 , wherein the photodetector is operably connected to a digital imaging device.

19. The radiation detector of claim 13 , wherein the photodetector is operably connected to a screen scintillator.

20. A method for detecting radiation with a radiation detector, comprising:

disposing a scintillator crystal having a structure formula of A 2 LnBX 6 to a radiation source causing the scintillator crystal to emit photons, wherein;

A comprises thallium (Tl), a Group IA element, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing;

Ln comprises cerium at a level greater than 0.2;

B comprises a Group IA element;

X comprises a halide compound, wherein the ie-dThe halide compound comprises two or more from the group consisting of iodine (I), fluoride (F), chloride (Cl), and bromide (Br);

detecting photons with a photon detector, wherein the photon detector produces an electrical current; and,

producing information based on the electrical current.