# Vertically Self-Oriented, Ultrafast 1D ZnO:Li Nanorods as Scintillators for Thermal Neutron Detection

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new type of neutron detector using ultrafast ZnO:Li nanorods for improved nuclear material detection.

## Contribution

The study presents ultrafast 1D ZnO:Li nanorods with the shortest scintillation decay time for thermal neutron detection.

## Key findings

- ZnO:Li nanorods achieved a scintillation decay time of approximately 470 ps.
- Low-temperature hydrothermal synthesis produced highly crystalline nano scintillators.
- The vertical nano array design increases surface area and detection efficiency.

## Abstract

Detection of special nuclear materials (SNMs) is of vital
importance
in the prevention of nuclear terrorism and to secure states’
national security. Neutron detection is a particularly useful tool
to identify SNM, and neutron-sensitive scintillators have many promising
properties, such as ease of use, good time resolution, and high detection
efficiency. In this work, we develop highly stable, self-oriented,
ultrafast 1D ZnO:Li (and codoped with Al, Ga, and In) nanorods (NRs)
as thermal neutron-sensitive scintillators. Lithium-6 has high thermal
neutron cross section for the (n, α) reaction
in ZnO:Li scintillators which have a vertical nano array design greatly
increasing the effective surface area and scintillation efficiency.
Cost-effective low-temperature (95 °C) hydrothermal growth is
used to obtain highly crystalline ZnO:Li nano scintillators by combining
nuclear range data and electron transport mechanisms. Among the studies
using low-temperature hydrothermal synthesis and a relatively low
annealing temperature (≈350 °C) along with optimized NRs
(length ≈ 5–8 μm, mean diameter ≈ 700 nm)
for thermal neutron detection, this study reports the shortest scintillation
decay time (≈ 470 ps) so far to the best of our knowledge.
This nano array scintillator combines the advantages of a low-cost
growth technique with environmentally friendly and widely available
materials.