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The Synthesis and Structures of Elpasolite Halide Scintillators

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Pin Yang ,
F. Patrick Doty ,
Mark A. Rodriguez ,
Margaret R. Sanchez ,
Xiaowong Zhou  and
Kanai S. Shah
Pin Yang
Affiliation:
pyang@sandia.gov, Sandia National Laboratories, Ceramics and Glass Processing, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
F. Patrick Doty
Affiliation:
doty@fakemail.com, Radiation and Nuclear Detection Materials and Analysis, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California, United States
Mark A. Rodriguez
Affiliation:
Rodriguez@fakemail.com, Sandia National Laboratories, Ceramics and Glass Processing, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Margaret R. Sanchez
Affiliation:
Sanchez@fakemail.com, Sandia National Laboratories, Ceramics and Glass Processing, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Xiaowong Zhou
Affiliation:
Xiaowong_Zhou@fakemail.com, Radiation and Nuclear Detection Materials and Analysis, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California, United States
Kanai S. Shah
Affiliation:
Shah@fakemail.com, Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc., Watertown, Massachusetts, United States
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Abstract

Low-cost, high-performance gamma-ray spectrometers are urgently needed for nonproliferation and homeland security applications. Available scintillation materials fall short of the requirements for energy resolution and sensitivity at room temperature. The emerging lanthanide halide based materials, while having the desired luminosity and proportionality, have proven difficult to produce in the large sizes and low cost required due to highly anisotropic properties caused by the non-cubic crystal structure. New cubic materials, such as the recently discovered elpasolite family (A2BLnX6; Ln-lanthanide and X-halogen), hold promise for scintillator materials due to their high light output, proportionality, and toughness. The isotropic nature of the cubic elpasolites leads to minimal thermomechanical stresses during single-crystal solidification, and eliminates the problematic light scattering at the grain boundaries. Therefore, it may be possible to produce these materials in large sizes as either single crystals or transparent ceramics with high production yield and reduced costs. In this study, we investigated the “cubic” elpasolite halide synthesis and studied the structural variations of four different compounds, including Cs2NaLaBr6, Cs2LiLaBr6, Cs2NaLaI6, and Cs2LiLaI6. Attempts to produce a large-area detector by a hot forging technique were explored.

Keywords

lanthanidecrystallographic structureCs
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1164: Symposium L – Nuclear Radiation Detection Materials–2009 , 2009 , 1164-L11-05
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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