Low-temperature perovskite scintillators and devices with low-temperature perovskite scintillators
Disclosed embodiments include perovskite scintillators configured to be operated at a low temperature, detectors with perovskite scintillators configured to be operated at a low temperature, scanners with perovskite scintillators configured to be operated at a low temperature, methods of cooling a perovskite scintillator to a low temperature, and methods of configuring a perovskite scintillator to be operated at a low temperature.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a perovskite scintillator configured to be irradiated by ionizing radiation at an operating temperature below 277 K, wherein a scintillation light yield to fast decay time ratio of the perovskite scintillator in response to the ionizing radiation is greater than 8000 ns −1 at the operating temperature.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the perovskite scintillator includes an organic-inorganic trihalide perovskite (“OTP”) scintillator.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a timing resolution of the perovskite scintillator is less than 200 ps.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a light yield of the perovskite scintillator is at least 50000 ph/MeV.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a decay time of the perovskite scintillator is less than 10 ns.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cooling system configured to cool the perovskite scintillator to the operating temperature.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the operating temperature is between 10 K and 160 K.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the operating temperature is about 77 K.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
encapsulation material in which the perovskite scintillator is encapsulated.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to be operated as part of a detector chosen from a group comprising an X-ray detector and a gamma ray detector.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to be operated as part of a scanner chosen from a group comprising a PET scanner and a CT scanner.
12. A detector comprising:
a source of ionizing radiation;
at least one perovskite scintillator configured to be irradiated by ionizing radiation at a first frequency from the source of ionizing radiation and emit photons responsive thereto at a second frequency that is lower than the first frequency, the perovskite scintillator being further configured to be operated at an operating temperature below 277K;
a cooling system configured to cool the perovskite scintillator to the operating temperature; and
a photodetector configured to detect photons emitted by the perovskite scintillator, wherein a scintillation light yield to fast decay time ratio of the perovskite scintillator in response to irradiation by the ionizing radiation is greater than 8000 ns −1 at the operating temperature.
13. The detector of claim 12 , wherein the source of ionizing radiation includes a source chosen from a group comprising an X-ray source and a gamma ray source.
14. A scanner comprising:
a perovskite scintillator configured to be irradiated by pairs of ionizing gamma photons at a first frequency and emit photons responsive thereto at a second frequency that is lower than the first frequency, the perovskite scintillator being further configured to be operated at an operating temperature below 277 K;
a cooling system configured to cool the perovskite scintillator to the operating temperature; and
a photodetector configured to detect photons emitted by the perovskite scintillator, wherein a scintillation light yield to fast decay time ratio of the perovskite scintillator is greater than 8000 ns −1 at the operating temperature.
15. The scanner of claim 14 , wherein the photodetector is configured to be cooled to a cooled temperature.
16. The scanner of claim 15 , wherein the cooled temperature is different from the operating temperature.
17. The scanner of claim 16 , wherein the cooled temperature is higher than the operating temperature.
18. The scanner of claim 14 , wherein the photodetector has a coincidence resolving time of less than 1,000 ps.
19. The scanner of claim 18 , wherein the photodetector has a coincidence resolving time of less than 10 ps.
20. The scanner of claim 14 , further comprising at least one non-perovskite scintillator disposed adjacent the perovskite scintillator and configured to be irradiated by ionizing radiation at a third frequency from the source of ionizing radiation and emit photons responsive thereto at a fourth frequency that is lower than the third frequency, the photodetector being further configured to detect photons emitted by the non-perovskite scintillator.
21. The scanner of claim 20 , wherein the non-perovskite scintillator includes a high atomic number scintillator.
22. The scanner of claim 14 , further comprising:
a plurality of perovskite scintillators; and
a plurality of non-perovskite scintillators, single ones of the plurality of perovskite scintillators being disposed adjacent single ones of the plurality of non-perovskite scintillators.
23. The scanner of claim 14 , wherein the scanner includes a tomography scanner.
24. The scanner of claim 23 , wherein the tomography scanner includes a positron emission tomography scanner.
25. The scanner of claim 24 , wherein the positron emission tomography scanner includes a time-of-flight positron emission tomography scanner.
26. The scanner of claim 14 , wherein the first frequency and the third frequency are the same.