Research Projects

The rationale of the research: The lead-free fully inorganic perovskite scintillators have recently gained much attention due to their remarkable scintillation properties (negligible afterglow and faster decay time), ease of preparation, non-hygroscopic nature, and low cost of production (in solution method). Some of the major challenges in using them for commercial applications are lack of data related to pulse shape discrimination (PSD), intrinsic energy resolution for gamma rays, timing resolution, detection efficiency, and difficulty in growing large size crystals, due to which there is slow progress in the development of perovskite scintillators for the detection of nuclear radiation. The proposal aims to address some of these major challenges by making large-size melt-growth and solution growth-based lead-free inorganic perovskite scintillators. Scientific objectives: Synthesis of lead-free perovskite scintillators Tl₂BX₆ (B = Hf, Zr, and X = Cl, I) using the melt-growth method and synthesis of a low-cost novel phoswich detector of Cs₃Cu₂I₅ perovskite crystal and CsI(Tl) alkali halide crystal using solution method for the development of high-efficient and high-resolution gamma detectors as well as efficient neutron detectors under large gamma background What hypothesis/model to be tested: Models of light propagation in the scintillator will be tested using the GEANT4 simulation toolkit. The main experiments to be carried out: The melt-growth method is based on the Bridgman technique and the solution-growth method is based on inverse temperature crystallization. The characterization of structural and scintillation properties will be done using XRD, TL, PL, and decay time measurements. The light yield measurements will be done using the single electron response method. The effect of the photosensor will be studied by optically coupling the scintillators to PMT and SiPM. The discrimination of neutrons and gamma rays will be studied using analog, digital, and machine learning algorithms. The measurements of intrinsic energy resolution, timing resolution, and efficiency calibration will be done using a novel method based on Compton Coincidence Technique. The studies on gamma radiation hardness will be done using Gamma Chamber. If the objective is reached in terms of fundamental understanding, then we can go a step forward in addressing the limitations associated with the development of low-cost solution growth-based perovskite scintillators. If the objective is reached in terms of applications, then the low-cost solution growth-based perovskite scintillators are expected to replace neutron detectors in the field of security, medical imaging, and space. The availability of room temperature perovskite scintillators can boost the manufacturing of radiation survey monitors and dosimeters. Several start-ups can also come up in the market considering the ease of crystal growth and the potential to commercialize.