Abstract：
Fast emitting polymeric scintillators are requested in advanced applications where high speed detectors with a large signal-to-noise ratio are needed. However, their low density implies a weak stopping power of high energy radiation and thus a limited light output and sensitivity. To enhance their performance, polymeric scintillators can be loaded with dense nanoparticles (NPs). We investigate the properties of a series of polymeric scintillators by means of photoluminescence and scintillation spectroscopy, comparing standard scintillators with a composite system loaded with dense hafnium dioxide (HfO2) NPs. The nanocomposite shows a scintillation yield enhancement of +100% with an unchanged time response. We provide for the first time an interpretation of this effect, pointing out the local effect of NPs in the generation of emissive states upon interaction with ionizing radiation. The obtained results indicate that coupling fast conjugated emitters with optically inert dense NPs could lead to surpassing the actual limits of pure polymeric scintillators.
摘要：
在需要具有大信噪比的高速探测器的高级应用中需要快速发射聚合物闪烁体。然而,它们的低密度意味着高能辐射的弱阻止能力，因此光输出和灵敏度有限。为了提高他们的表现，聚合物闪烁体可以装载有致密的纳米颗粒(NP)。我们通过光致发光和闪烁光谱研究了一系列聚合物闪烁体的特性，将标准闪烁体与负载有致密二氧化铪(HfO2)NP的复合系统进行比较。纳米复合材料显示出+100%的闪烁产率增强,而时间响应不变。我们首次提供了对这种影响的解释，指出NPs在与电离辐射相互作用时产生发射态的局部效应。获得的结果表明，将快速共轭发射器与光学惰性致密NP耦合可能会导致超过纯聚合物闪烁体的实际极限。
