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

这个PFI：空气技术翻译项目专注于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。该项目将产生与核和放射性材料(如伽马和X射线)以及阿尔法和贝塔粒子通常相关的辐射探测器原型。与目前采用盖革计数器、闪烁探测器和高纯度锗(HPGe)探测器的技术相比，原型探测器将具有极高的灵敏度，显著降低了尺寸、重量、成本和功耗。这些新的探测器有可能在国土安全的早期/快速核威胁检测、安全应用(如边境安全和控制、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)方面取得颠覆性进展。原型探测器将利用一种新的低功率高放大传感机制，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放置在一个微型室中，该微型室可以感知通过它的任何核辐射。外壳的形状、大小和结构以及材料的类型将进行优化，以获得最大的响应。此外，还将开发针对各种类型辐射的探测器，以便能够对不同的放射性或核事件做出反应。该项目的目标是开发能够快速检测超低信号的探测器(成本和便携性目前无法通过传统技术实现)，用于早期/快速威胁检测。该项目将邀请研究生设计、制造、测试和优化这些探测器，这将培训他们先进的纳米制造技能，对他们未来的职业生涯有益。此外，学生将参与了解市场需求和扩大制造限制的活动。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，可能是通过一家初创企业。该项目的长期目标将是解决能够为从建筑物规模到城市规模的监测服务的低成本可联网设备，并为能够显著减少核事件或放射性事件的影响的早期行动提供实时数据。

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.