【Others Papers】Gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃) energy dependent scintillation response to fast neutrons and flash gamma-rays

      Researchers from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas have published a dissertation titled " Gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃) energy dependent scintillation response to fast neutrons and flash gamma-rays  " in Review Of Scientific Instruments.

Abstract

      Gallium oxide is a newly emerged ultrawide bandgap (4.9 eV) semiconductor that is suitable as a combined electronics and radiation detection platform. We have experimentally demonstrated fast neutron and gamma-ray scintillation from Czochralski-grown β-Ga₂O₃ in a recent series (October 2023) of experiments at the unmoderated pulsed neutron spallation source located at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. Using the neutron time-of-flight (TOF) technique and a fast-gated intensified CCD camera, we observed energy-dependent neutron scintillation for neutron energies ranging from 1 to 400 MeV, including the 14.1 MeV neutron energy relevant to D–T fusion. Neutron flux is quantified and calibrated by cascading the scintillator after the fission chamber, enabling a detailed analysis of temporal and energy-dependent characteristics of the scintillation events. A pronounced scintillation signal from the spallation gamma flash with a temporal full width of half maximum of ∼4 ns is indicative of the material’s rapid response. Neutron energy dependent scintillation is observed using the TOF method at a 22.6-m distance from the neutron source. These results highlight the possibility of developing a Ga₂O₃ based fusion neutron diagnostic platform integrated with both scintillation and electronics functions on the integrated chip scale.

DOI：

doi.org/10.1063/5.0219595