Radiation detector based on photovoltaic property of single-walled carbon nanotube

Abstract

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) can be either metallic or semiconducting, and has been studied for developing electronic devices that outperforms existing ones. Among the many characteristics of carbon nanotube, photovoltaic property makes SWNT an effective component of a photodetector. Furthermore, the photodetector based on SWNT can be applied as an effective radiation detector when combined with a scintillator. P-type of semiconducting SWNT and N-type of Si were used to fabricate a photodetector as a component of a radiation detector. The detector responded to a broad range of wavelengths, especially from red to near infrared (NIR) range. Therefore, scintillator suitable to be combined with the SWNT photodetector also needs to emit in the same wavelength range. Eu and Sm doped LuPO4, ScPO4 and YPO4 emit luminescence in the long wavelength range, and thus are expected to serve as an appropriate scintillator for a SWNT-based radiation detector.