Codoped sodium-doped cesium iodide scintillators are described. The codoping can alter one or more optical and/or scintillation property of the scintillator material. For example, the codoping can increase scintillation light yield and/or decrease scintillation decay time. Radiation detectors comprising the scintillators, methods of detecting high energy radiation using the radiation detectors, and methods of altering one or more scintillation and/or optical properties of a cesium iodide scintillator are also described.

The present disclosure is directed to a group of newly discovered intrinsic scintillation compounds. As intrinsic scintillators, these compounds do not require an external activator as a dopant. The new scintillators may include members of two elpasolite families with the general exemplary formulas of A.sub.2BMX.sub.(6-y)X.sub.y and A.sub.3MX.sub.(6-y)X.sub.y, (0<y<6). Component A may include at least one element selected from the group consisting alkali elements and thallium (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs and Tl); Component B may include at least one element, different from the at least one element of component A, selected from the group consisting alkali elements (Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs); Component M may include at least one element selected from the group consisting tri-valence elements (La, Gd, Lu, Bi, Y); Component X may include at least one element selected from the group consisting halide elements (F, Cl, Br and I); Component X may include at least one element, different from the at least one element of component X, selected from the group consisting halide elements (F, Cl, Br and I). The value of y may be in a range between 0 and 6 non-inclusively (i.e. 0<y<6, or y={1, 2, 3, 4, 5}).

Products, such as a watch, an item of jewelry, a pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses, or the like, may be configured to be authenticated and/or tracked by way of producing a light emission having one or more predetermined characteristics. More particularly, a product may comprise a metal component, at least a portion of which contains wave-shifting marker crystals configured to emit light having one or more characteristics by which the product may be identified. Also described are packages, such as for cosmetics or fragrances, containing wave-shifting crystals that, when excited, emit light having one or more characteristics by which information about the package, such as a unique package identifier, may be obtained.

Disclosed herein is a nanocomposite particle comprising a core-shell-shell nanoparticle, an encapsulated nanorod linked with the core-shell-shell nanoparticle, and a lipid layer encapsulating the core-shell-shell nanoparticle and the encapsulated nanorod. The core-shell nanoparticle comprises a phosphor core, an inner shell layer, an outer shell layer, and a cationic polymer. The encapsulated nanorod comprises a nanorod, and a mesoporous scaffold. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the encapsulated nanorod is linked with the core-shell-shell nanoparticle via an electrostatic interaction between the cationic polymer and the mesoporous scaffold. Also disclosed are the uses of the nanocomposite in treating diseases, for example, cancers.