NaI(Tl) Sodium Iodide Scintillation Detectors
Cerium bromide (CeBr₃) scintillation detectors combine high light yield, fast decay times, and high density, making them effective for applications requiring good energy resolution and timing performance. A primary benefit over other high-resolution scintillators is the material’s very low intrinsic background noise, which improves signal-to-noise in low-count-rate or background-sensitive measurements. CeBr₃ also exhibits a fast response without slow tail components.
Key Properties of CeBr₃ Scintillation Detectors
- High Light Yield & Fast Timing – Supports excellent energy resolution and sub-nanosecond timing capabilities.
- Low Intrinsic Background – Reduces false counts and enhances detection limits in gamma-ray spectroscopy.
- High Density – Provides good stopping power for gamma rays and compact detector designs.
- Hygroscopic Material – Requires encapsulation to protect against moisture; available with entrance windows for direct radiation entry.
Available Configurations
- Encapsulated crystals with entrance window only.
- Integral coupling to light sensors such as photomultiplier tubes (PMT) or silicon photomultipliers (SiPM).
- Complete detector assemblies including crystal, light sensor, and front-end electronics (preamplifier, shaping, etc.).
Crystal sizes range from small pixels suitable for arrays to larger volumes up to 102 mm (4 in) diameter by 152 mm (6 in) length, allowing flexibility for single-detector setups or multi-detector systems. Common uses are found in gamma spectroscopy, environmental monitoring, nuclear security, homeland security applications, and research involving low-background or high-resolution gamma detection.
Properties of Sodium Iodide Scintillators
Density (g/cm3)
3.67
Melting point (K)
924
Thermal expansion coefficient (C-1)
47.7 x 10-6
Cleavage plane
<100>
Hardness (Mho)
2
Hygroscopic
Yes
Wavelength of emission max. (nm)
415
Refractive index @ emission max
1.85
Primary decay time (ns)
250
Light yield (photons/keV)
38
Temperature coefficient of light yield
0.3%C-1
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Yes – an important aspect of your product selection. See https://www.berkeleynucleonics.com/february-23rd-2022-ruggedized-detectors-customized-scintillators-field for further reading.
The Model 907 measures alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. The device is a health and safety instrument that is optimized to detect low levels of radiation.
The light output (number of photons per MeV gamma) of most scintillators is a function of temperature. This is caused by the fact that in scintillation crystals, radiative transitions, responsible for the production of scintillation light, compete with nonradiative transitions (no light production). In most scintillation crystals, the light output is quenched (decreased) at higher temperatures. An example to the contrary is the fast component of BaF2 which the emission intensity is essentially temperature independent.
The scintillation process usually involves three stages, production, transport and quenching centers. Competition between these three stages and all three behaving differently with temperature creates a complex temperature dependence for scintillation light output.
Below is a chart with the temperature dependence of common scintillation crystals.
Temperature dependence of the scintillation yield of NaI(Tl), CsI(Tl), BGO and CeBr3
For most applications, the combination of the temperature dependent light output of the scintillator together with the temperature dependent amplification of the light detector should be considered.
The doped scintillators NaI(Tl), CsI(Tl) and CsI(Na) show a distinct maximum in intensity whereas many undoped scintillators such as BGO show an increase in intensity with decreasing temperature. The temperature dependence of the Ce doped scintillators LBC, CeBr3 and YAP:Ce is significantly less than that of other scintillators.
Alpha radiation, beta radiation, gamma radiation, and x radiation. Neutron radiation is also encountered in nuclear power plants and high-altitude flight and emitted from some industrial radioactive sources.
Each scintillation material has a characteristic emission spectrum, with wavelength and intensity. The shape of this emission spectrum is sometimes dependent on the type of excitation (photons/particles).
Emission spectra of NaI(Tl), CsI(Tl) and CeBr3, scaled on maximum emission intensity.
Also a typical quantum efficiency curve of a bialkali photocathode and a Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPm) are shown above.
This emission spectrum is of importance when choosing the optimum readout device (PMT / photodiode/SiPm) and the required window material. The graph above shows the emission spectrum of some common scintillation materials.
