Nanocomposite scintillators for radiation detection and nuclear spectroscopy

A novel class of scintillating materials, which are nanocomposites of known scintillators, is described. These nanocomposite materials are expected to have improved properties with respect to the properties of the bulk scintillators from which they are derived. Improvements include enhanced light output, reduced cost and greater size scalability. Optical properties of the nanocomposite phosphor components are described, with emphasis on the origin of the enhanced light yield. Finally, results from our first nanocomposite scintillator, including photopeak measurements, are described. The photopeak measurements demonstrate the proof-of-principle of the nanocomposite scintillator concept.