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

该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。该项目将产生通常与核材料和放射性材料有关的辐射探测器原型，如伽马和X射线以及α和β粒子。 原型探测器将是超灵敏的，与现有的技术相比，包括基于盖革的计数器，闪烁探测器和高纯锗（HPGe）探测器，其尺寸，重量，成本和功耗将大大降低。这些新探测器有可能在国土安全的早期/快速核威胁探测、边境安全和控制等安全应用、城市规模的联网监测、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方面取得突破性进展。原型探测器将利用一种新的低功率高放大传感机制，该机制最近被发现是碳纳米管和石墨烯等纳米材料的一种特性。这将使得高灵敏度检测器与利用高电离体积、高压雪崩击穿和/或昂贵且难以实现的机构来获得高灵敏度检测的常规辐射检测器相比具有减小的尺寸、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放置在一个微型腔室中，该腔室可以感应通过它的任何核辐射。外壳腔室的形状，尺寸和结构沿着材料类型将被优化，以获得最大的响应。沿着，还将开发用于各种辐射的探测器，以便能够对各种放射性或核事件作出反应。该项目的目标是开发能够快速检测超低信号的探测器（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。该项目将让研究生设计，制造，测试和优化这些探测器，这将培养他们先进的纳米制造技能，有利于他们未来的职业生涯。此外，学生将参与活动，以了解市场需求和扩大制造限制。这些探测器的成功开发和演示将是走向商业化的重要一步，可能通过一个初创企业实现。该项目的长期目标将是开发低成本的联网设备，这些设备能够从建筑物规模到城市规模进行监测，并提供实时数据，以便及早采取行动，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.