A scintillation crystal can include Ln.sub.(1-y)RE.sub.yX.sub.3, wherein Ln represents a rare earth element, RE represents a different rare earth element, y has a value in a range of 0 to 1, and X represents a halogen. In an embodiment, RE is Ce, and the scintillation crystal is doped with Sr, Ba, or a mixture thereof at a concentration of at least approximately 0.0002 wt. %. In another embodiment, the scintillation crystal can have unexpectedly improved linearity and unexpectedly improved energy resolution properties. In a further embodiment, a radiation detection system can include the scintillation crystal, a photosensor, and an electronics device. Such a radiation detection system can be useful in a variety of radiation imaging applications.

Scintillator materials, as well as related systems, and methods of detection using the same, are described herein. The scintillator material composition may comprise a Tl-based scintillator material. For example, the composition may comprise a thallium-based halide. Such materials have been shown to have particularly attractive scintillation properties and may be used in a variety of applications for detection radiation.

The present disclosure discloses, in one arrangement, a scintillator material made of a metal halide with one or more additional group-13 elements. An example of such a compound is Ce:LaBr.sub.3 with thallium (Tl) added, either as a codopant or in a stoichiometric admixture and/or solid solution between LaBr.sub.3 and TlBr. In another arrangement, the above single crystalline iodide scintillator material can be made by first synthesizing a compound of the above composition and then forming a single crystal from the synthesized compound by, for example, the Vertical Gradient Freeze method. Applications of the scintillator materials include radiation detectors and their use in medical and security imaging.

The present invention provides a rare-earth halide scintillating material and application thereof. The rare-earth halide scintillating material has a chemical formula of RE.sub.aCe.sub.bX.sub.3, wherein RE is a rare-earth element La, Gd, Lu or Y, X is one or two of halogens Cl, Br and I, 0≤a≤1.1, 0.01≤b≤1.1, and 1.0001≤a+b≤1.2. By taking a +2 valent rare-earth halide having the same composition as a dopant to replace a heterogeneous alkaline earth metal halide in the prior art for doping, the rare-earth halide scintillating material is relatively short of a halogen ion. The apparent valence state of a rare-earth ion is between +2 and +3. The rare-earth halide scintillating material belongs to non-stoichiometric compounds, but still retains a crystal structure of an original stoichiometric compound, and has more excellent energy resolution and energy response linearity than the stoichiometric compound.

The present invention relates to a rare earth halide scintillating material. The material has a general chemical formula La.sub.1-xCe.sub.xBr.sub.3+y, wherein 0.001x1, and 0.0001y0.1. The rare earth halide scintillating material involved in the present invention has excellent scintillation properties of high light output, high energy resolution, and fast decay.

The present invention provides for a composition comprising a pigment, wherein the composition is suitable for coating a surface that is, or is expected to be, exposed to the sun. The pigment comprises particles that fluoresce in sunlight, thereby remaining cooler in the sun than coatings pigmented with non-fluorescent particles. The particles comprise solids that fluoresce or glow in the visible or near infrared (NIR) spectra, or that fluoresce when doped. Suitable dopants include, but are not limited to, ions of rare earths and transition metals. A coating composition includes: (i) a film-forming resin; (ii) an infrared reflective pigment; and (iii) an infrared fluorescent pigment different from the infrared reflective pigment. When the coating composition is cured to form a coating and exposed to radiation comprising fluorescence-exciting radiation, the coating has a greater effective solar reflectance (ESR) compared to the same coating exposed to the radiation comprising fluorescence-exciting radiation except without the infrared fluorescent pigment. A multi-layer coating including the coating composition, and a substrate at least partially coated with the coating composition is also disclosed. A method of reducing temperature of an article includes applying the coating composition to at least a portion of the article.

Disclosed herein is a material, comprising a first metal halide that is operative to function as a scintillator; where the first metal halide excludes cesium iodide (ScI), strontium iodide (SrI.sub.2), cesium bromide (CsBr), thallium doped cesium iodide (CsI:Tl), europium doped strontium iodide (SrI.sub.2:Eu), europium doped barium iodide (BaI.sub.2;EU), cerium doped strontium iodide (SrI.sub.2:Ce), cerium doped barium iodide (BaI.sub.2:Ce), cerium doped lanthanum bromide (LaBr.sub.3:Ce), and cerium doped lutetium iodide (LuI.sub.3:Ce); and a surface layer comprising a second metal halide that is disposed on a surface of the first metal halide; where the second metal halide has a lower water solubility than the first metal halide.

Halide-based scintillator materials, and related systems and methods are generally described. In some embodiments, the scintillator materials are thallium-based and/or have a perovskite structure. Specific embodiments of thallium calcium halides and thallium magnesium halides with desirable scintillation properties are provided.

The present invention provides for a composition comprising a pigment, wherein the composition is suitable for coating a surface that is, or is expected to be, exposed to the sun. The pigment comprises particles that fluoresce in sunlight, thereby remaining cooler in the sun than coatings pigmented with non-fluorescent particles. The particles comprise solids that fluoresce or glow in the visible or near infrared (NIR) spectra, or that fluoresce when doped. Suitable dopants include, but are not limited to, ions of rare earths and transition metals. A coating composition includes: (i) a film-forming resin; (ii) an infrared reflective pigment; and (iii) an infrared fluorescent pigment different from the infrared reflective pigment. When the coating composition is cured to form a coating and exposed to radiation comprising fluorescence-exciting radiation, the coating has a greater effective solar reflectance (ESR) compared to the same coating exposed to the radiation comprising fluorescence-exciting radiation except without the infrared fluorescent pigment. A multi-layer coating including the coating composition, and a substrate at least partially coated with the coating composition is also disclosed. A method of reducing temperature of an article includes applying the coating composition to at least a portion of the article.

A scintillator, a preparation method therefor, and an application thereof are disclosed wherein the scintillator has a chemical formula of Tl.sub.aA.sub.bB.sub.c:yCe, wherein: A is at least one rare earth element selected from trivalent rare earth elements; B is at least one halogen element selected from halogen elements; a=1, b=2 and c=7, a=2, b=1 and c=5, or a=3, b=1 and c=6; and y is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.5. According to another embodiment, the scintillator has a chemical formula of Tl.sub.aA.sub.bB.sub.c:yEu, wherein: A is an alkaline earth metal element; B is a halogen element; a=1, b=2 and c=5, or a=1, b=1 and c=3; and y is greater than or equal to 0 mol % and less than or equal to 50 mol %.