Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite scintillators for mixed field radiation detection

Sensitive and fast detection of neutrons and gamma rays is vital for homeland security, high-energy physics, and proton therapy. Fast-neutron detectors rely on light organic scintillators, and gamma-ray detectors use heavy inorganic scintillators and semiconductors. Efficient mixed-field detection using a single material is highly challenging due to their contradictory requirements. Here we report hybrid perovskites (C8H12N)(2)Pb(Br1-xClx)(4) that combine light organic cations and heavy inorganic skeletons at a molecular level to achieve unprecedented performance for mixed-field radiation detection. High neutron absorption due to a high density of hydrogen, strong radiative recombination within the highly confined [PbX6](4-) layer, and sub-nanometer distance between absorption sites and radiative centers, enable a light yield of 41 000 photons/MeV, detection pulse width of 2.97 ns and extraordinary linearity response toward both fast neutrons and gamma-rays, outperforming commonly used fast-neutron scintillators. Neutron energy spectrum, time-of-flight based fast-neutron/gamma-ray discrimination and neutron yield monitoring were all successfully achieved using (C8H12N)(2)Pb(Br0.95Cl0.05)(4) detectors. We further demonstrate the monitoring of reaction kinetics and total power of a nuclear fusion reaction. We envision that molecular hybridized scintillators open a new avenue for mixed-field radiation detection and imaging.

Automated summary

This study reports a hybrid perovskite material that combines light organic cations and heavy inorganic skeletons at a molecular level, achieving superior detection performance for mixed-field radiation.