PFI:AIR-TT: Design and Development of High-performance Miniature Radiation Detectors using Ultrasensitive Graphene and Carbon Nanotube ion Sensors

这个PFI: AIR技术翻译项目的重点是翻译一种新的基于纳米技术的带电粒子（离子）检测方法，用于一系列放射性和核辐射传感和监测应用。该项目将产生辐射的原型探测器，通常与核和放射性物质有关，如伽马和x射线，以及α和β粒子。与目前的盖格计数器、闪烁探测器和高纯度锗（HPGe）探测器相比，原型探测器将具有超灵敏的尺寸、重量、成本和功耗显著降低。这些新型探测器有可能在早期/快速核威胁检测方面取得突破性进展，用于国土安全、边境安全和控制等安全应用、城市规模的网络化监测、国内核电站和医疗设施监测，以及通过无人驾驶车辆进行军事行动的遥感。原型探测器将利用一种新型的低功率高放大传感机制，这种机制最近被发现是碳纳米管和石墨烯等纳米材料的特性。与利用高电离体积、高压雪崩击穿和/或昂贵且难以小型化的机制来获得高灵敏度检测的传统辐射探测器相比，这将使高灵敏度探测器具有更小的尺寸、成本和功耗。这将通过优化辐射探测器的设计来实现，该探测器将这些传感器安置在一个微型室中，可以感知通过它的任何核辐射。壳体腔室的形状、大小和结构以及材料类型都将进行优化，以获得最大的响应。与此同时，将为各种类型的辐射开发探测器，使它们能够对各种放射性或核事件作出反应。目标将是开发能够快速检测超低信号的探测器（其成本和便携程度目前无法通过传统技术实现），用于早期/快速威胁检测。该项目将吸引研究生设计、制造、测试和优化这些探测器，这将训练他们掌握先进的纳米制造技能，有利于他们未来的职业发展。此外，学生将参与了解市场需求和扩大生产限制的活动。这些探测器的成功开发和演示将是迈向商业化的重要一步，可能通过创业企业实现。该项目的长期目标将是解决低成本的联网设备，能够服务于从建筑物规模到城市规模的监测，并为早期行动提供实时数据，从而大大减少核或放射性事件的影响。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating a novel nanotechnology-based charged-particle (ion) detection method for a range of radioactivity and nuclear radiation sensing and monitoring applications. The project will result in prototype detectors of radiation that is commonly associated with nuclear and radioactive materials, such as gamma and X-rays, as well as alpha and beta particles. The prototype detectors will be ultrasensitive with significantly reduced size, weight, cost and power-consumption compared to current technologies that involve Geiger-based counters, scintillation detectors, and high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors. These new detectors have the potential to enable disruptive advances in early/rapid nuclear threat detection for homeland security, safety applications such as border security and control, city-scale networkable monitoring, domestic nuclear power plant and medical facilities monitoring, and remote sensing via unmanned vehicles for military operations. The prototype detectors will utilize a novel low-power high-amplification sensing mechanism that has been recently discovered to be a property of nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and graphene. This will enable high-sensitivity detectors with reduced size, cost and power consumption compared to conventional radiation detectors that utilize high ionization volumes, high-voltage avalanche breakdown, and/or expensive and difficult-to-miniaturize mechanisms to obtain highly sensitive detection. This will be achieved by optimizing the design of a radiation detector that houses these sensors in a miniature chamber that senses any nuclear radiation passing through it. The shape, size and architecture of the housing chamber, along with the type of materials will be optimized for maximum response. Along with this, detectors will be developed for various types of radiation so that they are capable of responding to diverse radioactive or nuclear events. The aim will be to develop detectors that are capable of rapidly detecting ultra-low signals (at a cost and degree of portability currently not achievable by conventional techniques) for early/rapid threat detection.The project will engage graduate students to design, fabricate, test, and optimize these detectors, which will train them in advanced nanomanufacturing skills, beneficial for their future career endeavors. In addition, the students will be engaged in activities to understand the market need and scale-up manufacturing constraints. The successful development and demonstration of these detectors will be an important step towards commercialization, possibly through a start-up venture. The long-term aim of this project will be to address low-cost networkable devices capable of serving from building-scale to city-scale monitoring, and to provide real-time data for early action that can significantly reduce the impact of a nuclear or radioactive event.