Transient Radiation Imaging Based on a ZnO:Ga Single-Crystal Image Converter

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Physics
• Engineering

Background:

• Developing advanced materials for high-resolution imaging is crucial.
• Diagnosing cathode electron emission in intense current diodes requires high temporal resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare a large ZnO:Ga single crystal using the hydrothermal method.
• To characterize its scintillation properties and evaluate its potential for high-temporal-resolution imaging.
• To establish an X-ray pinhole imaging system for diagnosing intense current diodes.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal method for ZnO:Ga single crystal preparation.
• X-ray rocking curve (XRC) and X-ray excited luminescence spectroscopy for characterization.
• Development of an X-ray pinhole imaging system with nanosecond temporal resolution.

Main Results:

• A ZnO:Ga single crystal (φ40 × 1 mm) with good crystallinity was produced.
• The crystal demonstrated excellent scintillation properties: 63.94-arcsec FWHM (XRC), 8% luminous non-uniformity, 389 nm emission, fast response, and 5.5% BGO luminous intensity.
• The imaging system successfully diagnosed cathode electron emission spatial distribution with nanosecond resolution.

Conclusions:

• The large ZnO:Ga single crystal is suitable for high-temporal-resolution imaging applications.
• The developed system provides new solutions for diagnosing pulse radiation fields.
• This research advances the capability for precise analysis of electron emission dynamics.