SBIR-STTR Award

High Performance Scintillator for Nuclear Physics Research
Award last edited on: 1/5/2023

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
DOE
Total Award Amount
$1,300,000
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
C51-38d
Principal Investigator
Amlan Datta

Company Information

CapeSym Inc (AKA: Cape Simulations Inc.~CS)

6 Huron Drive Suite 1B
Natick, MA 01760
   (508) 653-7100
   info@capesym.com
   www.capesym.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 05
County: Middlesex

Phase I

Contract Number: DE-SC0021476
Start Date: 2/22/2021    Completed: 11/21/2021
Phase I year
2021
Phase I Amount
$200,000
Crystal calorimeters have a long history of advancing the frontier on high-resolution electromagnetic (EM) and hadronic calorimetry. Scintillator crystals are extensively used for both types of calorimeters, but the existing scintillator crystals are facing critical challenges. As the luminosities at colliding-beams have increased, radiation damage of the detector components has become more and more a point of concern. For example, at hadron colliders, scintillation-based calorimeters have become less favored. At the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment of Large Hadron Collider (LHC), where PbWO4 crystals were chosen particularly because of its radiation hardness through many studies with ionizing electromagnetic radiation and hadrons, the endcap region of the calorimeter system is becoming unusable at a fast pace, after having received only a small fraction of the planned total integrated luminosity. Under this SBIR program, we will develop and commercialize an extremely radiation-hard non-hygroscopic high-density robust scintillator with high light yield and short decay time. The major tasks of Phase I would be: (a) optimization of chemistry and growth of scintillator crystals, (b) characterization of the radiation detection properties, and (c) demonstration of the scintillator’s radiation hardness. The radiation-hard scintillators to be developed under this program will be used for calorimeter detectors in nuclear physics experiments. In addition to nuclear physics experiments, these scintillators have immense potential for commercial radiation detection applications in military and homeland security. The developed material also has a large potential market in high power devices.

Phase II

Contract Number: DE-SC0021476
Start Date: 4/4/2022    Completed: 4/3/2024
Phase II year
2022
Phase II Amount
$1,100,000
Crystal calorimeters have a long history of advancing the frontier on high-resolution electromagnetic (EM) and hadronic calorimetry. Scintillator crystals are extensively used for both types of calorimeters, but the existing scintillator crystals are facing critical challenges. As the luminosities at colliding-beams have increased, radiation damage of the detector components has become increasingly a point of concern. For example, the baseline technology for the most radiation intense EIC EMCal regions uses the well-established and well- understood (but costly) lead tungstate (PbWO4) crystal calorimetry. Despite many years of development and some recent progress in PbWO4 crystal radiation hardness improvement, production costs and calorimetry stability and survivability remain critical concerns. Under this SBIR program, we will develop and commercialize an extremely radiation-hard non-hygroscopic high-density robust scintillator with high light yield and short decay time. The major accomplishments of Phase I were: (a) successful crystal growth of the scintillator using a scalable approach, (b) demonstration of high light yield, good energy resolution and fast decay time properties of the scintillator, and (c) demonstration of the scintillator’s radiation hardness. The major tasks of phase II are: (a) improving the scintillation performance of the detector using various strategies, (b) testing and further enhancing the radiation hardness of the detectors, (c) scale-up of the crystal growth process to match the NP experiment requirements, (d) fabrication and testing of complete scintillator modules. The radiation-hard scintillators to be developed under this program will be used for calorimeter detectors in nuclear physics experiments. In addition to nuclear physics experiments, these scintillators have immense potential for commercial radiation detection applications in military and homeland security.