Detection of neutrons in a wide energy range with crystalline Gd3Al2Ga3O12, Lu2SiO5 and LaBr3 doped with Ce scintillators

Abstract

High light yield scintillation materials on the base of lanthanide ions were demonstrated to be a multipurpose scintillation materials. They are widely used to detect γ–quanta and now become prospective to detect neutrons as well. Neutrons were detected through several distinct low energy γ–quanta peaks, generated by lanthanide nuclei in the materials under neutrons. Among three crystalline scintillators, namely lutetium oxy-orthosilicate, lanthanum bromide and gadolinium–aluminum–gallium garnet, the Gd3Al2Ga3O12:Ce (GAGG) scintillator showed the best performance and sensitivity due to the low internal background radioactivity and good cross section of neutron capture by natural mixture of the matrix host-creating Gd ions. The material fits the requirements for neutron detector properties — high Gd content and high scintillation light yield, stopping power and reasonable energy resolution for γ-quanta. These findings create prospects to construct compact multipurpose detectors for space and other application.