Speaker
Description
In recent years, perovskites have been widely studied as materials for the development of fast scintillators [1]. Due to their excellent carrier dynamics and excitonic behavior—particularly when present as nanocrystals—perovskites can emit light between 20 and 1,000 times faster than other semiconductors [2]. These properties make them promising candidates for fast-timing applications such as positron emission tomography (PET) [3].
Lead halide perovskites, such as cesium lead bromide (CPB), have been the most extensively studied. However, our group is investigating alternative oxide perovskites, including barium zirconate (BZO) [4]. Preliminary studies show promising radioluminescence from nanostructured BZO, suggesting its potential use as a scintillator material for detector development.
In this work, thin films are produced and deposited on plastic or glass substrates and coupled to a SiPM. This technique can be reproduced with different materials, enabling a direct comparison of their detection performance.
Experiments carried out at our laboratory aim to evaluate the particle detection capability of these thin films. The coincidence time resolution was also investigated through beta–gamma coincidence measurements, allowing to compare the fast response of BZO with other materials.
Ongoing work focuses on optimizing the electronics, data acquisition (DAQ), and analysis techniques to further improve time resolution. Additional efforts include exploring new detector geometries and combining the films with commercial scintillators. The final objective is the development of a combined detector array with spatial resolution and good particle discrimination for fast-timing applications in nuclear physics and medical instrumentation.
[1] Wibowo, A. et al. Commum Mater 4 (2023)
[2] Becker, M. et al. Nature 553 (2018)
[3] Pagano, F. et al. Adv. Materials Interfaces 11 (2024)
[4] M.L. Moreira et al. Scripta Materialia 64 (2011)