Renewable composite fiber for spatial radiation detection

Radiation detection is a common theme in various significant fields including radiotherapy, nuclear industry, aerospace, and environmental monitoring. Radiophotoluminescence (RPL) materials are widely used for radiation detection, but almost all of these candidates are in bulk form, and the fabrication of radiation detectors for spatial radiation detection remains a significant challenge. In this paper, we propose a novel chloride composite fiber with RPL response for precise measurement of spatial distribution of radiation levels. The composite fiber presents the core-clad configuration and thus can effectively prevent from the deliquescence issue. It has a tunable diameter (100∼1000 µm) and high length-diameter ratio (> 2000). It exhibits remarkable radiation detection capability of the composite fiber, with an X-ray detection limit as low as 4 µGy. Furthermore, the prepared composite fiber can be regenerated and reused by simple ultra-violet irradiation. We further construct a radiation detection device using composite fiber and demonstrate its practical application for one-pot spatial identification of radiation pollution level at different depths of soil. The results of our work provide a new and effective idea in the field of spatial radiation detection.