Research progress on red/near-infrared emission scintillation crystals for gamma-ray detection
10.13491/j.issn.1004-714X.2026.02.019
- VernacularTitle:γ探测用红光-近红外发光闪烁晶体的研究进展
- Author:
Yuexin ZHU
1
;
Yingmin CHEN
2
Author Information
1. School of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), Jinan 250117, China.
2. School of Preventive Medicine Sciences (Institute of Radiation Medicine), Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), Jinan 250117, China.
- Publication Type:ReviewArticles
- Keywords:
Gamma-ray detection;
Radiological health;
Red/near-infrared luminescence;
Scintillation crystal;
Resolution;
Light yield
- From:
Chinese Journal of Radiological Health
2026;35(2):279-285
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Gamma-ray detection plays an indispensable role in nuclear medicine (e.g., positron emission tomography/computed tomography), environmental monitoring, geological exploration, high-energy physics, and security inspection. Detectors based on scintillation crystals have emerged as the mainstream choice for gamma-ray detection due to their balanced overall performance, strong environmental adaptability, and cost-effectiveness. Their core components consist of scintillation crystals and photodetectors. In recent years, silicon-based photodetectors, represented by avalanche photodiodes and silicon photomultipliers, have developed rapidly, offering high detection efficiency and sensitivity to long-wavelength photons. However, the emission wavelengths of current commercial scintillation crystals are primarily in the blue-green region (350-600 nm). This severely mismatches the high quantum efficiency of silicon-based devices in the red/near-infrared wavelength range (>600 nm), leading to low overall light detection efficiency of the system. To fully explore the potential performance of novel silicon-based photodetectors, there is an urgent need to develop scintillation materials with red/near-infrared emission. This review summarizes the development history and research status of red/near-infrared emission scintillation crystals, introduces near-infrared emission scintillation crystals based on Eu2+/Yb2+-Sm2+ co-doping and Yb3+ luminescence, and briefly discusses existing problems and development trends in this field.
