Inorganic Scintillator Crystals
Inorganic scintillator crystals are single crystals that emit optical radiation upon exposure to X-ray, gamma-ray or neutron radiation. Scintillators composed of alkali, alkaline earth and rare earth halide crystals generally have an activator dopant uniformly dispersed throughout the crystal lattice. The most common inorganic scintillator crystal in use today is thallium-doped sodium iodide, NaI:Tl.
Thallium-based Elpasolites
Thallium-based elpasolites combine the best features of NaI:Tl, LaBr3:Ce and He-3 into one scintillation detector. Thallium-based elpasolites provide simultaneous gamma-neutron detection, while enabling pulse shape discrimination between gamma-rays and thermal neutrons. They are expected to satisfy all the key requirements for gamma-ray detectors; high energy resolution, high detection efficiency and low cost. Furthermore, they will provide excellent thermal neutron detection capabilities and good pulse shape discrimination of gamma and neutron events.
RMD’s detectors provide instrument manufacturers with new alternatives to build high performance, low cost radiation detection instruments for use in nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear treaty verification, environmental monitoring, nuclear waste cleanup, and border security. Oil well logging, medical imaging, nuclear and particle physics experiments, space physics and non-destructive testing are additional applications for Thallium-based elpasolites. Thallium-based elpasolites are grown using the Bridgeman-Stockbarger method.