Development of plasmonic detectors for radiation dosimetry

Abstract

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) is the luminescence emitted by a material, insulating or semiconductor, during light exposure, previously exposed to ionizing radiation. OSL is, therefore, the base of ionizing radiation dosimetry in medical procedures such as radiotherapy and radiodiagnosis, in addition to personal dosimetry and radioprotection, replacing the traditional thermoluminescence dosimetry. Compared to TL, OSL has a simple electronic setup. The big challenge for the development of a national OSL system is the dosimetric material employed: carbon-doped aluminum oxide. These crystals are generally produced by methods involving high temperatures (around 2300 K) and strongly reducing atmosphere, which is expensive and difficult to achieve. Therefore, it is evident the need for new materials development, or still a new technology to develop optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters. Instead of exploring conventional methods of materials doping to increase OSL dosimeter sensitivity, this project proposes the use of metallic nanoparticles to amplify OSL intensity, by plasmon-coupled luminescence. The objective of this project is to produce new ionizing radiation detectors, to perform morphological and structural characterizations, as well as investigating the luminescence and dosimetric properties of OSL materials under plasmon resonance conditions.