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A novel concept for improving gamma ray spectroscopy in compact instruments is presented. The dual-range photon detector (DRPD) consists of a silicon drift detector (SDD) which is optically coupled with a LaBr3(Ce3+) crystal. In contrast to similar configurations investigated so far the SDD points to the radiation source. Pulse shape discrimination allows separating the distinct detection mechanisms which correspond to gamma absorption in the SDD or in the scintillator, respectively. This arrangement combines for the first time the excellent performance of an SDD as X-ray detector on its own with the striking energy resolution of a LaBr3(Ce3+) scintillator read out by an SDD. The concept was successfully demonstrated with two experimental SDD-LaBr3(Ce3+) systems. An energy resolution (FWHM) of 2.7% and 2.9% at 662 keV was measured with the two distinct systems operated in scintillator mode whereas scintillator-photomultiplier combinations with the same crystals yielded only 3.3% and 3.1%, respectively. The SDD mode provided an energy resolution surpassing the scintillator resolution by about one order of magnitude in the limited energy range up to 100 keV. Measurements with various radioactive sources demonstrated that this mode uncovers line structures which could never be resolved with scintillators or CZT detectors. Homeland security programs could profit from the proposed detector concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an X- and gamma-ray detector based on a silicon drift detector (SDD) coupled to a CsI(Tl) scintillating crystal is presented. The SDD is operated both as a direct X-ray detector for photons interacting in silicon and as an indirect detector for photons interacting in the scintillator. As interactions in silicon and in CsI yield different amounts of charge per unit energy deposited, discrimination of the place of interaction is necessary to obtain the correct energy. Discrimination of the interaction type is carried out by means of pulse shape discrimination performed with two parallel processing chains with different shaping times. The performance of the detectors are described and discussed. Pulse shape discrimination is possible throughout the detector energy range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-speed direct electron detection system is introduced to the field of transmission electron microscopy and applied to strain measurements in semiconductor nanostructures. In particular, a focused electron probe with a diameter of 0.5 nm was scanned over a fourfold quantum layer stack with alternating compressive and tensile strain and diffracted discs have been recorded on a scintillator-free direct electron detector with a frame time of 1 ms. We show that the applied algorithms can accurately detect Bragg beam positions despite a significant point spread each 300 kV electron causes during detection on the scintillator-free camera. For millisecond exposures, we find that strain can be measured with a precision of 1.3 × 10-3, enabling, e.g., strain mapping in a 100×100 nm2 region with 0.5 nm resolution in 40 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]