Optimizing the transparency of nano-LiF:Cu/silicone nanocomposites for 3D optically stimulated luminescence dosimetry

Abstract

Nanoparticles displaying optically stimulated luminescence embedded in a transparent polymer matrix have been proposed as a reusable high-spatial resolution 3D dosimeter. We measured the refractive indices of LiF:Cu nanoparticles and silicone and found a mismatch of 0.03-0.05 for the relevant wavelengths, explaining the transmission loss through 1 cm-sized nanocomposite dosimeters. We propose to bridge the refractive index gap by coating the LiF nanoparticles with a shell of SiO2. Initial studies show successful SiO2 growth, although more work is required to produce core-shell nanoparticles with an optimized refractive index.