SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR NEUTRON DETECTION USING SCINTILLATOR NANO-MATERIALS

• US 20120199747A1
• Filed: 02/09/2011
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Létant, Sonia Edith, Wang, Tzu-Fang
• Granted Patent: US 9,279,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/362
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 3/06 with scintillation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 3/08 with semiconductor detectors

Abstract

In one embodiment, a neutron detector includes a three dimensional matrix, having nanocomposite materials and a substantially transparent film material for suspending the nanocomposite materials, a detector coupled to the three dimensional matrix adapted for detecting a change in the nanocomposite materials, and an analyzer coupled to the detector adapted for analyzing the change detected by the detector. In another embodiment, a method for detecting neutrons includes receiving radiation from a source, converting neutrons in the radiation into alpha particles using converter material, converting the alpha particles into photons using quantum dot emitters, detecting the photons, and analyzing the photons to determine neutrons in the radiation.

Claims

1. A neutron detector, comprising:

a three dimensional matrix, comprising;

nanocomposite materials; and

a substantially transparent film material for suspending the nanocomposite materials;

a detector coupled to the three dimensional matrix, wherein the detector is adapted for detecting a change in the nanocomposite materials; and

an analyzer coupled to the detector, the analyzer being adapted for analyzing the change detected by the detector.

2. The neutron detector as recited in claim 1, wherein the nanocomposite materials comprise converter materials and scintillator materials.

3. The neutron detector as recited in claim 2, wherein the converter materials comprise at least one material selected from a group consisting of:

boron nanoparticles, compounds of boron nanoparticles including boron nitride (BN) nanoparticles, lithium nanoparticles, and compounds of lithium compounds including ⁶Li nanoparticles.

4. The neutron detector as recited in claim 3, wherein the converter materials comprise ¹⁰B nanoparticles and compounds thereof.

5. The neutron detector as recited in claim 3, wherein the converter materials have a greatest dimension of between about 5 nm and about 500 nm.

6. The neutron detector as recited in claim 2, wherein the scintillator materials comprise semiconductor quantum dots.

7. The neutron detector as recited in claim 6, wherein the semiconductor quantum dots comprise at least one of:

cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots, zinc sulfide (ZnS) quantum dots, and CdSe/ZnS core shell quantum dots.

8. The neutron detector as recited in claim 6, wherein the semiconductor quantum dots have a greatest dimension of between about 2 nm and about 5 nm.

9. The neutron detector as recited in claim 6, wherein the semiconductor quantum dots have an emission in a visible light spectrum.

10. The neutron detector as recited in claim 1, wherein the detector is a photomultiplier (PMT) or an avalanche photodiode (APD).

11. The neutron detector as recited in claim 1, wherein the analyzer is a multi-channel analyzer.

12. The neutron detector as recited in claim 1, wherein the substantially transparent film material comprises a glass or a polymer.

13. A method for detecting neutrons, the method comprising:

receiving radiation from a source;

converting neutrons in the radiation into alpha particles using converter material;

converting the alpha particles into photons using quantum dot emitters;

detecting the photons; and

analyzing the photons to determine neutrons in the radiation.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the quantum dot emitters comprise at least one of:

cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots, zinc sulfide (ZnS) quantum dots, and CdSe/ZnS core shell quantum dots.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the quantum dot emitters have a greatest dimension of between about 2 nm and about 5 nm.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the converter material comprises boron nitride (BN) nanoparticles.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the BN nanoparticles have a greatest dimension of between about 5 nm and about 500 nm.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the BN nanoparticles comprise ¹⁰B.

19. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the photons have a wavelength in a visible light spectrum.

20. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the photons are detected using a photomultiplier (PMT) or an avalanche photodiode (APD).