Thallium bromide radiation detectors

Crystals of highly purified thallium bromide were used to fabricate radiation detectors. These detectors were rested with isotopic photon sources and successfully detected gamma and X-rays in the 0.01- to 1 MeV energy range. The detectors were tested at and below room temperature, and their performance approaches that of other semiconductor detector materials which have been under development. The performance of TlBr detectors is due to the similarity in the transport characteristics of electrons and holes in TlBr and the relatively large number of charge carriers produced per unit of energy of detected particle. The performance of these detectors is currently limited by shot noise induced by the leakage current in the TlBr.< >