Discovery and Development of Crystalline Radiation Detection Materials

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Crystalline inorganic materials are the core of ionizing radiation detection technologies used extensively in security and defense applications, physics instrumentation and medical imaging systems. To provide energy-resolved spectra of ionizing radiation, detector materials, with unique chemical and physical properties, must be produced in the form of large volume, defect free crystals. As a result, the development of crystalline radiation detection materials encompasses complex, multi-faceted challenges in chemistry, physics and material engineering. This proposed research program aims to discover and develop novel crystalline radiation detectors. From a discovery perspective, objective 1 aims to develop low-cost, environment-friendly, room-temperature semiconductor radiation detectors. For this type of detector, one emerging application is the next generation photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) technology, which will be able to produce images differentiating a tumor from healthy organ tissue under lower X-ray dosage. Chemical exploration of the mixed heavy metal halide perovskites will lead to the discovery of new detector candidates containing non-toxic and earth abundant elements. Success in this area will attract interests from industrial partners and ultimately lead to the commercialization of advanced radiation detection technologies. From a material development approach, objective 2 focuses on the tailored design of heavy-element inorganic scintillator materials for astro-particle physics research. Unique challenges arise from targeting certain isotopes involved in specific rare nuclear processes. We aim to conduct crystal growth and scintillation study of targeted halide fluorites, including Cs2VCl6, Cs2SnCl6 and Cs2OsCl6, for the study of nuclear process in 50V, 124Sn and 184Os, respectively. These tailored scintillators will enable new research pathways in astro-particle physics and new instrumentation for security particle (i.e. neutron) detection. The broad vision of the program is to build a diverse candidate pool of optical and opto-electronic materials with well understood properties, which will accelerate the research in functional inorganic crystalline materials. The program aims to train 4 undergraduate, 4 M.Sc and 3 Ph.D. students in inorganic chemistry, materials chemistry, crystal growth methods and physical properties measurement techniques, as well as introducing them to cutting-edge research in semiconductor materials and devices. This interdisciplinary experience will allow the HQP to be adaptive to the intricate academic and industrial research environments of the future. The success of the proposed research program will expand our knowledge in inorganic crystalline materials, facilitate novel astro-particle physics instrumentation, as well as bring economic benefit to Canada via commercialization of new radiation detectors.