A solid state device and method are described for detecting and using neutrinos. In elementary particle physics there are only three stable particles: the proton, electron and neutrino. The proton and electron have a charge q and are easy to detect, but neutrinos have no charge but a magnetic moment (spin ) and does not strongly interact with matter at room temperature (295 Kelvin). This neutrino detector consists of a semiconducting substrate, with magnetic atoms at the lattice sites. An important feature of this disclosure is that it functions at cryogenic temperatures (0 to 78 K) using the Kondo effect which forms hybrid localized milli-eV band (about 20-4010.sup.3 eV) at the magnetic sits in the semiconductor band gap or conduction band. The neutrinos passing the detector and absorbed at these sites change the resistance of the neutrino detector. In a second embodiment a superconductor is used. The preferred material is a high temperature superconductor (<77 K) such as YBa.sub.2Cu.sub.3O.sub.7-x. The neutrinos dissociate the Cooper pair (electrons) and change the resistance that is measured as in the first embodiment.

A solid state device and method are described for detecting and using neutrinos. In elementary particle physics there are only three stable particles: the proton, electron and neutrino. The proton and electron have a charge q and are easy to detect, but neutrinos have no charge but a magnetic moment (spin ) and does not strongly interact with matter at room temperature (295 Kelvin). This neutrino detector consists of a semiconducting substrate, with magnetic atoms at the lattice sites. An important feature of this disclosure is that it functions at cryogenic temperatures (0 to 78 K) using the Kondo effect which forms hybrid localized milli-eV band (about 20-4010.sup.3 eV) at the magnetic sits in the semiconductor band gap or conduction band. The neutrinos passing the detector and absorbed at these sites change the resistance of the neutrino detector. In a second embodiment a superconductor is used. The preferred material is a high temperature superconductor (<77 K) such as YBa.sub.2Cu.sub.3O.sub.7-x. The neutrinos dissociate the Cooper pair (electrons) and change the resistance that is measured as in the first embodiment.

A method of operating a digital radiographic detector having an array of imaging pixels, wherein a predetermined gate voltage is applied to the transistor gates in the array in a dark environment. The preselected gate voltage is maintained for a predetermined duration to increase a threshold voltage of the transistor.

A neutron detector system, with a detector having a pair of spaced diamond detector layers, sandwiched between outer silicon layers. In response to incident neutrons, the detector system measures pulse heights and response times, and from those measurements, calculates the carbon recoil energy and time of flight of scattered neutrons. This data is further used to calculate a direction cone, which represents the approximate angle of arrival of the incident neutron. These direction cones can be used to image neutron events.

A neutron detector system, with a detector having a pair of spaced diamond detector layers, sandwiched between outer silicon layers. In response to incident neutrons, the detector system measures pulse heights and response times, and from those measurements, calculates the carbon recoil energy and time of flight of scattered neutrons. This data is further used to calculate a direction cone, which represents the approximate angle of arrival of the incident neutron. These direction cones can be used to image neutron events.

Disclosed is a semiconductor radiation detector for detecting X-ray and/or gamma-ray radiation. The detector comprises a converter element for converting incident X-ray and gamma-ray photons into electron-hole pairs, at least one cathode, a plurality of detector electrodes arranged with a pitch (P) along a first axis, a plurality of drift electrodes, a readout circuitry being configured to read out signals from the plurality of detector electrodes; and a processing unit connected to the readout circuitry and being configured to detect an event in the converter element. The readout circuitry is further configured to read out signals from the plurality of drift electrodes, and the processing unit is further configured to estimate a location of the event along the first axis by processing signals obtained from both the detector electrodes and the drift electrodes, the location of the event along said first axis is estimated with a precision being greater than the pitch (P).

A thermally coupled imager includes a single photon detection pixel electrically isolated but in thermal communication with a thermal readout bus via a thermally conductive galvanic isolator, wherein the single photon detection pixel receives a single photon and produces thermal energy that is communicated to the thermal readout bus. A position and time of arrival of the single photon received by the single photon detection pixel is determined from voltage pulses produced by the thermal readout bus in response to receiving the thermal energy from the single photon detection pixel.

A position-sensitive ionizing-particle radiation counting detector includes a first substrate and a second substrate generally parallel to the first substrate and forming a gap with the first substrate, with a discharge gas contained within the gap. The detector includes a first electrode electrically coupled to the second substrate, and a second electrode electrically coupled to the first electrode and defining at least one pixel with the first electrode. The detector further includes an open dielectric structure pattern layered over one of the first or second electrodes and a current-limiting quench resistor coupled in series to one of the first or second electrodes. The detector further includes a power supply coupled to one of the first or second electrodes and a first discharge event detector circuitry coupled to the one of the first or second electrodes for detecting a gas discharge counting event in the electrode.

A position-sensitive ionizing-particle radiation counting detector includes a first substrate and a second substrate generally parallel to the first substrate and forming a gap with the first substrate, with a discharge gas contained within the gap. The detector includes a first electrode electrically coupled to the second substrate, and a second electrode electrically coupled to the first electrode and defining at least one pixel with the first electrode. The detector further includes an open dielectric structure pattern layered over one of the first or second electrodes and a current-limiting quench resistor coupled in series to one of the first or second electrodes. The detector further includes a power supply coupled to one of the first or second electrodes and a first discharge event detector circuitry coupled to the one of the first or second electrodes for detecting a gas discharge counting event in the electrode.

A method of determining beta radiation intensity based on calculated resonance frequency and calculated quality factor can include providing an electrical sensor comprising at least one prong, irradiating the first composite material of the one of the plurality of planar surfaces and the material of the second section with beta radiation from a beta radiation source; measuring at least one impedance value from the electrical sensor with an impedance analyzer; calculating at least one resonance frequency value based on the measured at least one impedance value; calculating at least one quality factor value based on the calculated at least one resonance frequency value; and determining the beta radiation intensity based on the calculated at least one resonance frequency value and the calculated at least one quality factor value.