A fluorescent member includes: a wavelength converter including an incidence part on which a light of a light source is incident and an output part from which a converted light subjected to wavelength conversion as a result of excitation by an incident light is output; and a reflecting part provided in at least a portion of a surface of the wavelength converter. The wavelength converter is comprised of a material whereby a degree of scattering of the light of the light source incident via the incidence part and traveling toward the output part is smaller than in the case of a polycrystalline material.

Embodiments of the invention generally provide compositions of crystalline zeolite materials with tailored crystal habits and the methods for forming such crystalline zeolite materials. The methods for forming the crystalline zeolite materials include binding one or more zeolite growth modifiers (ZGMs) to the surface of a zeolite crystal, which results in the modification of crystal growth rates along different crystallographic directions, leading to the formation of zeolites having a tailored crystal habit. The improved properties enabled by the tailored crystal habit include a minimized crystal thickness, a shortened internal diffusion pathlength, and a greater step density as compared to a zeolite having the native crystal habit prepared by traditional processes. The tailored crystal habit provides the crystalline zeolite materials with an aspect ratio of about 4 or greater and crystal surfaces having a step density of about 25 steps/m.sup.2 or greater.

Embodiments of the invention generally provide compositions of crystalline zeolite materials with tailored crystal habits and the methods for forming such crystalline zeolite materials. The methods for forming the crystalline zeolite materials include binding one or more zeolite growth modifiers (ZGMs) to the surface of a zeolite crystal, which results in the modification of crystal growth rates along different crystallographic directions, leading to the formation of zeolites having a tailored crystal habit. The improved properties enabled by the tailored crystal habit include a minimized crystal thickness, a shortened internal diffusion pathlength, and a greater step density as compared to a zeolite having the native crystal habit prepared by traditional processes. The tailored crystal habit provides the crystalline zeolite materials with an aspect ratio of about 4 or greater and crystal surfaces having a step density of about 25 steps/m.sup.2 or greater.

The present disclosure discloses a method for growing a crystal for detecting neutrons, gamma rays, and/or x rays. The method may include weighting reactants based on a molar ratio of the reactants according to a reaction equation (1?x?z)X.sub.2O.sub.3+SiO.sub.2+2xCeO.sub.2+zZ.sub.2O.sub.3.fwdarw.X.sub.2(1?x?Z)Ce.sub.2xZ.sub.2zSiO.sub.5+z/2O.sub.2? or (1?x?y?z)X.sub.2O.sub.3+yY.sub.2O.sub.3+SiO.sub.2+2xCeO.sub.2+zZ.sub.2O.sub.3.fwdarw.X.sub.2(1?x?y?z)Y.sub.2yCe.sub.2xZ.sub.2zSiO.sub.5+x/20.sub.2?; placing the reactants on which a second preprocessing operation has been performed into a crystal growth device after an assembly processing operation is performed on at least one component of the crystal growth device; introducing a flowing gas into the crystal growth device after sealing the crystal growth device; and activating the crystal growth device to grow the crystal based on the Czochralski technique.

Some embodiments are directed to a method for the preparation of defect-free nanosized synthetic zeolite materials, to the defect-free nanosized synthetic zeolite materials, to stable colloidal suspensions of the defect-free synthetic zeolite materials, and to the use of the defect-free nanosized synthetic zeolite materials and the stable colloidal suspensions in various applications.

Some embodiments are directed to a method for the preparation of defect-free nanosized synthetic zeolite materials, to the defect-free nanosized synthetic zeolite materials, to stable colloidal suspensions of the defect-free synthetic zeolite materials, and to the use of the defect-free nanosized synthetic zeolite materials and the stable colloidal suspensions in various applications.

Methods for forming samples of noble metal bipyramid nanocrystals having very low size and shape polydispersities from samples of mixed noble metal nanocrystals are provided. The samples include those comprising high purity, substantially monodisperse, plasmonic gold bipyramid nanocrystals. Also provided are methods of growing secondary twinned metal nanocrystals using the noble metal bipyramid nanocrystals as seed particles. Like the seed bipyramid nanocrystals from which they are grown, the secondary nanocrystals are twinned nanocrystals and may also be characterized by very low size and shape polydispersities. Secondary twinned nanocrystals grown by these methods include enlarged metal bipyramid nanocrystals and nanocrystals with anisotropic dumbbell shapes having a variety of tip geometries. Methods for using noble metal bipyramid nanocrystals as plasmonic heaters to heat reaction solutions via plasmonic-photothermal radiation-to-heat conversion are also provided.

A method of producing a double-doped scintillation crystal is provided. Czochralski method is used to grow a double-doped single crystal boule. The double-doped single crystal boule is a single crystal boule of rare-earth silicate double-doped with cerium (Ce) and calcium (Ca) or magnesium (Mg). The double-doped single crystal boule is subjected to a thermal annealing process in a furnace. A yield of pixel samples of the double-doped scintillation crystal is improved after a processing process, and the present invention achieves low producing cost, high yield, less crystal fragmentations, high luminescence intensity and short decaying time.

A method of producing a double-doped scintillation crystal is provided. Czochralski method is used to grow a double-doped single crystal boule. The double-doped single crystal boule is a single crystal boule of rare-earth silicate double-doped with cerium (Ce) and calcium (Ca) or magnesium (Mg). The double-doped single crystal boule is subjected to a thermal annealing process in a furnace. A yield of pixel samples of the double-doped scintillation crystal is improved after a processing process, and the present invention achieves low producing cost, high yield, less crystal fragmentations, high luminescence intensity and short decaying time.

A method of forming one or more protrusions on an outer surface of a polished face of a solid state material, said method including the step of applying focused inert gas ion beam local irradiation towards an outer surface of a polished facet of a solid state material in a way of protruding top surface material; wherein irradiated focused inert gas ions from said focused inert gas ion bean penetrate the outer surface of said polished facet of said solid state material; and wherein irradiated focused inert gas ions cause expansive strain within the solid state crystal lattice of the solid state material below said outer surface at a pressure so as to induce expansion of solid state crystal lattice, and form a protrusion on the outer surface of the polished face of said solid state material.