Development of Radiation Detectors using Semiconductor Perovskite Materials.

1) Brief description of the context of the research including potential impact:

Radiation detectors used in security and medical contexts are made using materials sensitive to ionisation radiation that produce light or an electrical charge that can be gathered to create meaningful data such as a diagnostic x-ray image. Recent studies of perovskite materials have highlighted their potential for x-ray detection due to their high absorption coefficients, excellent electrical properties and relatively low cost of production among other things.

This study will further investigate these properties in order to develop a 3D printable radiation detector using perovskite materials. Such a detector would be beneficial in environments where simple, robust radiation detectors could be used for security purposes, e.g. monitoring ionising radiation at ports or in a tunnel. The future could also see 3D printable detectors applied in fields such as radiotherapy where patient-specific detectors may be desirable.

2) Aims and Objectives:

The ultimate objective of this project is to lay the foundations for a functioning radiation detector made using perovskite material such as CsPbBr3 that is scalable, easily producible and made with low-cost materials. We aim to develop a 3D printable radiation detector by investigating the practicality of a conductive material that has been loaded with radiosensitive perovskite material.

In particular, we are exploring the use of FDM 3D printing with a filament that is both conductive and will produce an electric current in the presence of ionising radiation. We hope to do this by adding perovskite material that has been synthesised in a lab to the carbon-loaded conductive filaments commercially available for 3D printing.

We will be working with the University of Surrey to produce perovskite-containing conductive filaments and to extensively characterise their properties. These filaments will later be used for 3D printing methods in order to produce a device capable of radiation detection.

Additional work may include Monte Carlo simulations that can help characterise the sensitivity of Perovskite-based radiation detectors. 3) Novelty of Research Methodology:

This study will include experimental and simulation methodologies. Experimental components will come from the development of perovskite materials and combining these with 3D printable filaments. It will also include experiments for characterising the materials produced.

Possible simulation work will involve calculations of dose deposited into the perovskite-loaded material as we assess the material's radiation detecting capabilities. 4) Alignment to STFC's strategies and research areas:

STFC supports research in physics and materials science and this study will expand our knowledge of perovskite materials and their real-world security and medical applications. 5) Any companies or collaborators involved:

This PhD studentship has been funded by NuSec (Nuclear Security Science Network). We will be collaborating with the University of Surrey, who will be allowing us access to their laboratory for the purposes of Perovskite synthesis, as well as some of their custom material characterisation setups.