Development and challenges in perovskite scintillators for high-resolution imaging and timing applications

• Published in: Communications materials Vol. 4; no. 1; pp. 21 - 10
• Main Authors: Wibowo, Arie, Sheikh, Md Abdul Kuddus, Diguna, Lina Jaya, Ananda, Muhammad Bagas, Marsudi, Maradhana Agung, Arramel, Arramel, Zeng, Shuwen, Wong, Liang Jie, Birowosuto, Muhammad Danang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 13.03.2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/301/1005/1009; 639/624/399/1022; 639/766/1130/2799; Alpha rays; Beta rays; Chemistry and Materials Science; Computed tomography; Counting; Decay rate; Energy management; Engineering Sciences; Gamma rays; Image resolution; Instrumentation and Detectors; Ionizing radiation; Light; Lithium; Materials; Materials Science; Medical imaging; Nanocrystals; National security; Perovskites; Photons; Physics; Positron emission; Radiation; Radiation sources; Review Article; Scintillation counters; Tomography; X ray imagery
• ISSN: 2662-4443; 2662-4443
• DOI: 10.1038/s43246-023-00348-5

Inorganic scintillators play a major role in ionizing radiation detection due to their high versatility to detect multiple radiation sources such as X-rays, gamma-rays, alpha, beta, and neutron particles, and their fast and high light yield, making them especially convenient for imaging, spectroscopy, and timing applications. Scintillators-based detection systems are found, among various applications, in medical imaging, homeland security, high-energy physics, industrial control, oil drilling explorations, and energy management. This Review discusses advances and prospects of perovskite scintillators, particularly low-dimensional hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite crystals and all-inorganic perovskite nanocrystals. We highlight the promise of two-dimensional lithium-doped (PEA) 2 PbBr 4 crystals and CsPbBr 3 nanocrystals as scintillators with high light yields, exceeding 20 photons/keV, and fast decay times of less than 15 ns. Such a combination may result in fast-spectral X-ray imaging, an output count rate exceeding 30 Mcps/pixel in photon-counting computed tomography, and coincidence timing resolution of less than 100 ps in positron emission tomography. We review recent strategies to further improve light yield, decay time, and coincidence timing resolution through light-matter interactions such as extraction efficiency enhancement and Purcell-enhanced scintillators. These advancements in light yields and decay times of perovskite scintillators will be particularly useful in the medical and security applications. Scintillators are materials of great interest for versatile and fast radiation detection systems. This Review discusses recent advances and strategies to improve the light yield, decay time, and coincidence timing resolution of all-inorganic and hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite scintillators.