Advanced Scintillator and Detector Materials for Radiation Physics and Nuclear Medicine

Dear Colleagues,

Recent progress in luminescent and scintillating materials has opened new opportunities for the development of high-performance detectors applied in radiation physics, radiotherapy, and nuclear medicine. Current research focuses on oxide-based single crystals, epitaxial structures, and composite scintillators optimized for accurate detection, imaging, and dosimetry of ionizing radiation.

Particular attention has been devoted to doped simple and mixed oxide systems in both bulk and epitaxial forms, including heavy compounds such as YAG, LuAG, and GAGG garnets and their combinations; Gd–Lu-based perovskites; Y–Lu–Gd orthosilicates; and La–Gd–Y pyrosilicates, as well as “light” materials such as Al₂O₃ (sapphire) and MgAl₂O₄ (spinel). Synthesized using advanced crystal growth methods including Czochralski, Bridgman, micro-pulling-down (MPD), and liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE), these materials exhibit high optical transparency, radiation hardness, and tunable scintillation decay kinetics. Their fast decay times, high light yields, and excellent thermal stability make them promising candidates for real-time radiation monitoring, beam quality control, and in vivo dosimetry in external beam and brachytherapy applications.

Recent developments have also demonstrated the potential of compact scintillation detectors integrated with optical fiber readout and silicon photomultipliers, enabling precise, real-time dose measurements under clinical conditions. Parallel advances in optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) detectors and composite multilayer architectures have further expanded the versatility of these materials, allowing simultaneous detection of mixed radiation fields and enhanced sensitivity through interface engineering.

Collectively, these advances underline the multifunctionality, structural robustness, and broad applicability of garnet-, perovskite-, silicate-, and Al₂O₃–MgAl₂O₄-based scintillators and detectors. Their integration into next-generation detection systems bridges fundamental luminescence research with practical innovations in medical imaging, clinical dosimetry, and radiation physics instrumentation.

Prof. Dr. Yuriy Zorenko
Guest Editor

Dr. Janusz Winiecki
Guest Editor Assistant

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