Position sensitive ZnO:Zn neutron detector – A high count rate alternative to ZnS:Ag scintillation detectors

S.E. Mann; E.M. Schooneveld; N.J. Rhodes; D. Liu; G.J. Sykora

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2023.168716

Position sensitive ZnO:Zn neutron detector – A high count rate alternative to ZnS:Ag scintillation detectors

S.E. Mann^*, E.M. Schooneveld, N.J. Rhodes, D. Liu, G.J. Sykora

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

ZnO:Zn is a low afterglow scintillator that is investigated here as a possible higher count rate alternative to ZnS:Ag for scintillation neutron detectors at scattering facilities. In the present work the first position sensitive neutron detector using ZnO:Zn has been produced and its detector performance is evaluated in comparison to a typical ZnS:Ag detector. The detection efficiency of the ZnO:Zn detector at 1 Å was measured to be 74% that of the ZnS:Ag detector, due to lower light output and collection in the ZnO:Zn detector. The trigger efficiency of the ZnO:Zn detector was 61% with gamma sensitivities on the order of 10⁻⁵; in comparison, the ZnS:Ag detector was able to achieve trigger efficiencies of 94% at gamma sensitivities ∼10⁻⁶. Areas of development to improve these limitations will be discussed. Most importantly, the rate capability of the ZnO:Zn detector was demonstrated to be approximately two times higher than the current standard ZnS:Ag scintillation detectors. With optimisation of signal processing parameters a factor of six times improvement in rate capability may be possible, indicating potential for the use of ZnO:Zn detectors in higher count rate applications.

Original language	English
Article number	168716
Number of pages	11
Journal	Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume	1057
Issue number	0168-9002
Early online date	28 Sept 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2023.168716
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2023

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Novel Scintillator Development for High Rate Capability Neutron Scattering Detectors
Mann, S. E. (Author), Jeff Sykora, G. (Supervisor), Liu, L. (Supervisor), Pomeroy, J. W. (Supervisor) & Kuball, M. H. H. (Supervisor), 10 Dec 2024
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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Mann, S. E., Schooneveld, E. M., Rhodes, N. J., Liu, D., & Sykora, G. J. (2023). Position sensitive ZnO:Zn neutron detector – A high count rate alternative to ZnS:Ag scintillation detectors. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 1057(0168-9002), Article 168716. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2023.168716

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title = "Position sensitive ZnO:Zn neutron detector – A high count rate alternative to ZnS:Ag scintillation detectors",

abstract = "ZnO:Zn is a low afterglow scintillator that is investigated here as a possible higher count rate alternative to ZnS:Ag for scintillation neutron detectors at scattering facilities. In the present work the first position sensitive neutron detector using ZnO:Zn has been produced and its detector performance is evaluated in comparison to a typical ZnS:Ag detector. The detection efficiency of the ZnO:Zn detector at 1 {\AA} was measured to be 74\% that of the ZnS:Ag detector, due to lower light output and collection in the ZnO:Zn detector. The trigger efficiency of the ZnO:Zn detector was 61\% with gamma sensitivities on the order of 10−5; in comparison, the ZnS:Ag detector was able to achieve trigger efficiencies of 94\% at gamma sensitivities ∼10−6. Areas of development to improve these limitations will be discussed. Most importantly, the rate capability of the ZnO:Zn detector was demonstrated to be approximately two times higher than the current standard ZnS:Ag scintillation detectors. With optimisation of signal processing parameters a factor of six times improvement in rate capability may be possible, indicating potential for the use of ZnO:Zn detectors in higher count rate applications.",

author = "S.E. Mann and E.M. Schooneveld and N.J. Rhodes and D. Liu and G.J. Sykora",

year = "2023",

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journal = "Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment",

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Mann, SE, Schooneveld, EM, Rhodes, NJ, Liu, D & Sykora, GJ 2023, 'Position sensitive ZnO:Zn neutron detector – A high count rate alternative to ZnS:Ag scintillation detectors', Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, vol. 1057, no. 0168-9002, 168716. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2023.168716

Position sensitive ZnO:Zn neutron detector – A high count rate alternative to ZnS:Ag scintillation detectors. / Mann, S.E.; Schooneveld, E.M.; Rhodes, N.J. et al.
In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 1057, No. 0168-9002, 168716, 01.12.2023.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Position sensitive ZnO:Zn neutron detector – A high count rate alternative to ZnS:Ag scintillation detectors

AU - Mann, S.E.

AU - Schooneveld, E.M.

AU - Rhodes, N.J.

AU - Liu, D.

AU - Sykora, G.J.

PY - 2023/12/1

Y1 - 2023/12/1

N2 - ZnO:Zn is a low afterglow scintillator that is investigated here as a possible higher count rate alternative to ZnS:Ag for scintillation neutron detectors at scattering facilities. In the present work the first position sensitive neutron detector using ZnO:Zn has been produced and its detector performance is evaluated in comparison to a typical ZnS:Ag detector. The detection efficiency of the ZnO:Zn detector at 1 Å was measured to be 74% that of the ZnS:Ag detector, due to lower light output and collection in the ZnO:Zn detector. The trigger efficiency of the ZnO:Zn detector was 61% with gamma sensitivities on the order of 10−5; in comparison, the ZnS:Ag detector was able to achieve trigger efficiencies of 94% at gamma sensitivities ∼10−6. Areas of development to improve these limitations will be discussed. Most importantly, the rate capability of the ZnO:Zn detector was demonstrated to be approximately two times higher than the current standard ZnS:Ag scintillation detectors. With optimisation of signal processing parameters a factor of six times improvement in rate capability may be possible, indicating potential for the use of ZnO:Zn detectors in higher count rate applications.

AB - ZnO:Zn is a low afterglow scintillator that is investigated here as a possible higher count rate alternative to ZnS:Ag for scintillation neutron detectors at scattering facilities. In the present work the first position sensitive neutron detector using ZnO:Zn has been produced and its detector performance is evaluated in comparison to a typical ZnS:Ag detector. The detection efficiency of the ZnO:Zn detector at 1 Å was measured to be 74% that of the ZnS:Ag detector, due to lower light output and collection in the ZnO:Zn detector. The trigger efficiency of the ZnO:Zn detector was 61% with gamma sensitivities on the order of 10−5; in comparison, the ZnS:Ag detector was able to achieve trigger efficiencies of 94% at gamma sensitivities ∼10−6. Areas of development to improve these limitations will be discussed. Most importantly, the rate capability of the ZnO:Zn detector was demonstrated to be approximately two times higher than the current standard ZnS:Ag scintillation detectors. With optimisation of signal processing parameters a factor of six times improvement in rate capability may be possible, indicating potential for the use of ZnO:Zn detectors in higher count rate applications.

U2 - 10.1016/j.nima.2023.168716

DO - 10.1016/j.nima.2023.168716

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

SN - 1872-9576

VL - 1057

JO - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

JF - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

IS - 0168-9002

M1 - 168716

ER -

Mann SE, Schooneveld EM, Rhodes NJ, Liu D, Sykora GJ. Position sensitive ZnO:Zn neutron detector – A high count rate alternative to ZnS:Ag scintillation detectors. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment. 2023 Dec 1;1057(0168-9002):168716. Epub 2023 Sept 28. doi: 10.1016/j.nima.2023.168716

Position sensitive ZnO:Zn neutron detector – A high count rate alternative to ZnS:Ag scintillation detectors

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Novel Scintillator Development for High Rate Capability Neutron Scattering Detectors

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