Lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (LHP-NCs) embedded in polymer matrices are gaining traction for next-generation radiation detectors. While progress has been made on green-emitting CsPbBr3 NCs, scant attention has been given to the scintillation properties of CsPbCl3 NCs, which emit size-tunable UV-blue light matching the peak efficiency of ultrafast photodetectors. In this study, we explore the scintillation characteristics of CsPbCl3 NCs produced through a scalable method and treated with CdCl2. Spectroscopic, radiometric and theoretical analysis on both untreated and treated NCs uncover deep hole trap states due to surface undercoordinated chloride ions, eliminated by Pb to Cd substitution. This yields near-perfect efficiency and resistance to polyacrylate mass-polymerization. Radiation hardness tests demonstrate stability to high gamma doses while time-resolved experiments reveal ultrafast radioluminescence with an average lifetime as short as 210 ps. These findings enhance our comprehension of LHP NCs' scintillation properties, positioning CsPbCl3 as a promising alternative to conventional fast scintillators.
@article{arxiv.2404.14813,
title = {Ultrafast nanocomposite scintillators based on Cd-enhanced CsPbCl3 nanocrystals in polymer matrix},
author = {Andrea Erroi and Francesco Carulli and Francesca Cova and Isabel Frank and Matteo L. Zaffalon and Jordi Llusar and Sara Mecca and Alessia Cemmi and Ilaria Di Sarcina and Francesca Rossi and Luca Beverina and Francesco Meinardi and Ivan Infante and Etiennette Auffray and Sergio Brovelli},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2404.14813},
year = {2024}
}