Dual-Core Ce: YAG-Derived Silicate Scintillation Fiber for Real-Time X-Ray Detection

Abstract

A dual-core Ce:YAG-derived scintillation fiber (DCSF) was proposed conceptually, simulated numerically, and prepared experimentally by the modified molten core method (MCM) for the first time, of which, the core material is amorphous yttrium aluminosilicate glasses and the cladding material SiO2. Theoretically, it is found that such kind of DCSF exhibits very low inter-core crosstalk with the help of finite element simulation analysis, which may result from the high index difference of ∼0.097 between core and cladding. The average decay lifetime of the prepared DCSF are 31.4 ns and 36 ns at 350 nm and 500 nm, which are shorter than those of its Ce:YAG bulk crystal counterpart. Radiation monitoring was demonstrated by an all-fiber detection system. The radiation response of the DCSF bundle was also investigated, whose radio-luminescence response intensity is ∼1.66 and ∼1.12 times higher than that of the single-core fiber bundles with similar core-diameter and with similar core-area, respectively. In conclusion, with radiation detection performance improvement enabled by space division multiplexing capability, the DCSF not only provides a solution for the dilemma between low transmission loss and high optical yield, but also makes a substantial step towards the development of practical and reliable radiation detectors.