Growth and characterization of SrCl₂ crystal for fast neutron spectroscopy

Chlorine-based scintillators with pulse shape discrimination capability are becoming attractive in the community due to their potential application in fast neutron spectroscopy. In this study, a pure SrCl₂ crystal was grown using the Bridgman method and characterized for its fast neutron detection via ³⁵Cl(n,p)³⁵S and ³⁵Cl(n,α)³²P reactions. The difference in the scintillation decay time under gamma and alpha irradiation was investigated using ¹³⁷Cs and ²⁴¹Am sources. Consequently, using pulse shape discrimination techniques, the proton and alpha particles from neutron capture reactions were detected and separated from background gamma signals. The SrCl₂ also exhibited a good energy resolution of about 5.4 % at 662 keVee. Other scintillation properties, such as emission spectrum, light yield, and nonproportionality, are also measured and reported in this study. Overal, the SrCl₂ crystal can be a candidate for fast neutron spectroscopy applications.