Title: Characterisation of potassium bromide loaded with dysprosium fluoride nanocrystals for neutron detection

Authors: Antonio C. Rivera; Natasha N. Glazener; Nathaniel C. Cook; Brian A. Akins; Leisha M. Armijo; John B. Plumley; Nathan J. Withers; Ken Carpenter; Gennady A. Smolyakov; Robert D. Busch; Marek Osiński

Addresses: Center for High Technology Materials, University of New Mexico, 1313 Goddard SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106-4343, USA ' Center for High Technology Materials, University of New Mexico, 1313 Goddard SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106-4343, USA ' Center for High Technology Materials, University of New Mexico, 1313 Goddard SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106-4343, USA ' Center for High Technology Materials, University of New Mexico, 1313 Goddard SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106-4343, USA ' Center for High Technology Materials, University of New Mexico, 1313 Goddard SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106-4343, USA ' Center for High Technology Materials, University of New Mexico, 1313 Goddard SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106-4343, USA ' Center for High Technology Materials, University of New Mexico, 1313 Goddard SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106-4343, USA ' Nuclear Engineering Laboratory, Farris Engineering Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA ' Center for High Technology Materials, University of New Mexico, 1313 Goddard SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106-4343, USA ' Nuclear Engineering Laboratory, Farris Engineering Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA ' Center for High Technology Materials, University of New Mexico, 1313 Goddard SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106-4343, USA

Abstract: We explore a novel concept of passive optically-enabled detection of thermal neutrons that exploits transmutation of ¹⁶⁴Dy into ¹⁶⁵Ho. The concept relies on significant differences in optical properties of Dy and Ho and on our ability to find the most sensitive optical method of differentiating between Dy and Ho. While the concept applies equally well to bulk materials and to nanocrystals (NCs), the nanocrystalline approach is much more attractive due to its significantly lower cost, relative ease of colloidal synthesis of high quality NCs with controlled composition, and superior optical and mechanical properties of NCs compared to their bulk counterparts. One particular advantage of NCs for neutron detection is that in principle they can be integrated into a transparent host without causing optical scattering. Since Ho is known to have strong emission lines in mid-infrared, we considered potassium bromide (KBr), transparent in mid-IR spectral range, to be a suitable host for Dy-containing NCs. Here, we report on synthesis and characterisation of DyF₃:10%Ce, HoF₃:10%Ce, and DyF₃:10%Ho,10%Ce NCs, their insertion into KBr matrix, and optical characterisation of the obtained nanocomposites, both non-irradiated and subjected to neutron irradiation.

Keywords: dysprosium; holmium; neutron capture; potassium bromide; mid-infrared; nanocrystals; neutron detection; nuclear forensics; nanotechnology; thermal neutrons; optical properties; colloidal synthesis; nanocomposites.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2014.060574

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2014 Vol.11 No.5/6/7/8, pp.529 - 538

Published online: 15 Dec 2014 *

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