METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING THE COLLECTION OF PHOTONS IN SCINTILLATOR CRYSTALS, AND RELATED CRYSTAL AND USES

摘要

The invention relates to a method for optimizing photon management in scintillation crystals. Said method is characterized in that it includes the following steps: depositing a material (5), having a refractive index "n" approximately equal to the refractive index of a scintillation crystal (1), on one surface (2) of said scintillation crystal; structuring said material (5) via a structuring means; and creating sub-diffractive size structures (6) in said material (5) such as to enable the refractive index to be adapted between the scintillation crystal (1) and the material (5) on said surface (2) and/or create structures (6) at the diffraction limit in said material (5) in the form of a single-order blazed distribution grating by directly redirecting the photons reflected on the side surfaces (20) of said crystal toward the surface (2) of said crystal, such as to enable the time distribution to be reduced. The invention also relates to the means for structuring the material (5) and to the scintillation crystal thus optimized for photon management. The invention further relates to the use of a scintillation crystal, optimized according to the above method, in particle detection systems and/or medical imaging and/or security systems and/or for radiation-related monitoring.