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New Scintillator Materials (K2CeBr5) and (Cs2CeBr5)

Cesium cerium bromide (Cs2CeBr5) and potassium cerium bromide (K2CeBr5) are new scintillator materials for X-ray and gamma ray detector applications. Recently halide scintillator materials, such as Ce doped lanthanum bromide has been proved to be very important material for the same purpose. These materials are highly hygroscopic; a search for high light yield non-hygroscopic materials was highly desirable to advance the scintillator technology. In this paper, we are reporting the crystal growth of novel scintillator materials, cesium cerium bromide (Cs2CeBr5) and potassium cerium bromide (K2CeBr5). Crystals were successfully grown from the melt using the vertical Bridgman-Stockbarger technique, in a comparison with the high performance LaBr3 or LaCl3 crystals, cerium based alkali halides crystals, (Cs2CeBr5) and (K2CeBr5) have similar scintillation properties, while being much less hygroscopic. Furthermore, cesium based compounds will not suffer from the self-activity present in potassium and lanthanum compounds. However the Cs2CeBr5 crystals did not grow properly probably due to non-congruent melting or to some phase transition during cooling. Keywords." Scintillator materials; Ce3+; Energy resolution; Light yield; K2CeBr5

Hawrami, R.↗

Fabrication and surface characterization of composite refractory compounds suitable for thermionic converters

The techniques of fabricating and characterizing the surface properties of electrode materials were investigated. The basic surface properties of these materials were studied with respect to their utilization as thermionic energy converter electrodes. Emphasis was placed on those factors (e.g, cesium disorption kinetic and mechanisms of low work function production) which are of primary concern to thermionic converter performance.

Davis, P. R.↗

Fabrication and surface characterization of composite refractory compounds suitable for thermionic converters

Thermal faceting was observed for the high index planes of LaB6. The (100), (110), and (111) planes were found to be the most thermodynamically stable faces in vacuum in a study of electrode materials for thermionic emitters. The properties of adsorbed carbon, cesium, and cesium-oxygen layers were investigated on LaB6 single crystal surfaces as well as on Zr/0/W(100) and W(100). Cesium was found to increase electron reflection near the collision threshold on LaB6(100) and W(100) and to decrease the reflection on Zr/0/W(100). This difference may be explained by the unusually high threshold reflection coefficient of Zr/0/W without adsorbed cesium.

Davis, P. R.↗

Moisture resistant and anti-reflection optical coatings produced by plasma polymerization of organic compounds

The need for protective coatings on critical optical surfaces, such as halide crystal windows or lenses used in spectroscopy, has long been recognized. It has been demonstrated that thin, one micron, organic coatings produced by polymerization of flourinated monomers in low temperature gas discharge (plasma) exhibit very high degrees of moisture resistence, e.g., hundreds of hours protection for cesium iodide vs. minutes before degradation sets in for untreated surfaces. The index of refraction of these coatings is intermediate between that of the halide substrate and air, a condition for anti-reflection, another desirable property of optical coatings. Thus, the organic coatings not only offer protection, but improved transmittance as well. The polymer coating is non-absorbing over the range 0.4 to 40 microns with an exception at 8.0 microns, the expected absorption for C-F bonds.

Hollahan, J. R.↗

Superconductivity in the alkali metal intercalates of molybdenum disulphide

The complete series of alkali metals, lithium through cesium, have been intercalated into molybdenum disulphide, using both the liquid ammonia and vapor techniques. All the intercalates with the exception of lithium yielded full superconducting transitions with onset temperatures of 6 K for AxMoS2(Ax=K,Rb,Cs) and 4 K for BxMoS2(Bx=Li,Na). The superconducting transition for lithium was incomplete down to 1.5 K. Stoichiometries and unit cell parameters have been determined for the intercalation compounds. Both rhombohedral and hexagonal polymorphs of MoS2 have been intercalated and found to exhibit the same superconductivity behavior. The nature of the extraneous superconducting transition of some intercalated samples on exposure to air was elucidated.

Somoano, R. B.↗

Piezoelectrically Enhanced Photocathodes

Doping of photocathodes with materials that have large piezoelectric coefficients has been proposed as an alternative means of increasing the desired photoemission of electrons. Treating cathode materials to increase emission of electrons is called "activation" in the art. It has been common practice to activate photocathodes by depositing thin layers of suitable metals (usually, cesium). Because cesium is unstable in air, fabrication of cesiated photocathodes and devices that contain them must be performed in sealed tubes under vacuum. It is difficult and costly to perform fabrication processes in enclosed, evacuated spaces. The proposed piezoelectrically enhanced photocathodes would have electron-emission properties similar to those of cesiated photocathodes but would be stable in air, and therefore could be fabricated more easily and at lower cost. Candidate photocathodes include nitrides of elements in column III of the periodic table . especially compounds of the general formula Al(x)Ga(1.x)N (where 0< or = x < or =.1). These compounds have high piezoelectric coefficients and are suitable for obtaining response to ultraviolet light. Fabrication of a photocathode according to the proposal would include inducement of strain in cathode layers during growth of the layers on a substrate. The strain would be induced by exploiting structural mismatches among the various constituent materials of the cathode. Because of the piezoelectric effect in this material, the strain would give rise to strong electric fields that, in turn, would give rise to a high concentration of charge near the surface. Examples of devices in which piezoelectrically enhanced photocathodes could be used include microchannel plates, electron- bombarded charge-coupled devices, image tubes, and night-vision goggles. Piezoelectrically enhanced photocathode materials could also be used in making highly efficient monolithic photodetectors. Highly efficient and stable piezoelectrically enhanced, ultraviolet-sensitive photocathodes and photodetectors could be fabricated by use of novel techniques for growing piezoelectrically enhanced layers, in conjunction with thinning and dopant-selective etching techniques.

Beach, Robert A.↗