Alkali halide scintillator and uses thereof
A scintillator can include a monocrystalline compound having a general formula Na (1-y) Li y X, where 0<y<1 and X is at least one halogen or any combination of halogens. In an embodiment, the scintillator can have a Pulse Shape Discrimination Figure of Merit of at least 1 at a temperature of 25° C., at a temperature of 150° C., or both.
1. A scintillator comprising a monocrystalline compound having a general formula Na (1-y) Li y X, where 0<y≤0.1 and X is at least one halogen or any combination of halogens.
2. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein y is at least 0.005.
3. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein y is at most 0.08.
4. The scintillator of claim 3 , wherein thallium is the only activator dopant.
5. The scintillator of claim 3 , wherein europium is the only activator dopant.
6. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the scintillator includes additional dopants comprising at least one of K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and any combination thereof.
7. The scintillator of claim 1 , further comprising an activator dopant present in an amount of at least 0.03%.
8. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the scintillator has a volume of at least 500 cm 3 .
9. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the scintillator has a Pulse Shape Discrimination Figure of Merit of at least 1 at a temperature of 25° C.
10. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the scintillator has a Pulse Shape Discrimination Figure of Merit of at least 1 at a temperature of 150° C.
11. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the scintillator has a volume of at least 500 cm 3 .
12. A radiation detector comprising the scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the radiation detector is a dual mode radiation detector.
13. The radiation detector of claim 12 , wherein the radiation detector is at least part of a security detection apparatus, an oil well-logging detector apparatus, a gamma ray spectroscopy apparatus, an isotope identification apparatus, a public area detector apparatus, a large area survey apparatus, a baggage and cargo scanning apparatus, a Single Positron Emission Computer Tomography (SPECT) apparatus or a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) apparatus, an x-ray imaging apparatus, a portal monitor radiation detector apparatus, a handheld radiation detector apparatus, a personal radiation detector apparatus.
14. A scintillator having a Pulse Shape Discrimination Figure of Merit of at least 1.5 at a temperature of 25° C., wherein the scintillator has a general formula Na (1-y) Li y X, where 0<y<1 and X is at least one halogen or any combination of halogens.
15. The scintillator of claim 14 , wherein the scintillator has a Pulse Shape Discrimination Figure of Merit of at least 1 at a temperature of 150° C.
16. The scintillator of claim 14 , wherein the scintillator has a volume of at least 2000 cm 3 .
17. A scintillator having a Pulse Shape Discrimination Figure of Merit of at least 1.5 at a temperature of 150° C.
18. The scintillator of claim 17 , wherein the scintillator has a general formula Na (1 y) Li y X, where 0<y≤0.1 and X is at least one halogen or any combination of halogens.
19. The scintillator of claim 17 , wherein the scintillator has a volume of at least 2000 cm 3 .