Fast and high-yield Pr:YAG crystal-derived silicate scintillation fiber for real-time X-ray detection

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optical Engineering
• Radiation Detection

Background:

• Scintillation fibers are crucial for radiation detection.
• Developing materials with fast decay times and high optical yield is essential for real-time applications.
• Existing silicate fibers have limitations in X-ray absorption efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare and characterize a Pr:YAG crystal-derived scintillation fiber (PCSF).
• To evaluate the PCSF's performance as an X-ray dosimeter and in a flexible fiber radiation detector.
• To demonstrate the PCSF's suitability for low-dose-rate and energy-discriminating X-ray detection.

Main Methods:

• Melt-in-tube method for PCSF preparation.
• Characterization of optical properties, decay time, and radioluminescence (RL) stability.
• Fabrication and testing of a flexible fiber radiation detector for X-ray dosimetry.

Main Results:

• PCSF exhibits a fast decay time (11.6 ns) and high optical yield.
• Achieved low insertion loss (0.015 dB) with commercial quartz fibers.
• Demonstrated high stability and linear response (R²=0.999) for X-ray detection from 1.13 to 30.74 μGy/s.
• Higher effective atomic number (Zeff) and mass attenuation coefficient compared to conventional silicate fibers.
• Ability to distinguish X-ray energies between 40-120 kV.

Conclusions:

• The PCSF offers superior X-ray absorption and detection capabilities.
• The flexible fiber radiation detector is effective for real-time, low-dose-rate X-ray monitoring.
• PCSF technology shows significant promise for advanced X-ray detection systems.