Study on scintillation properties and proton-induced radiation damage of LaCl₃ crystals

A Cs₂LiYCl₆ (CLYC) scintillation crystal is a promising candidate for fast neutron spectroscopy due to its dual mode gamma/neutron capability and good energy resolution. Despite promising features, CLYC's limited radiation tolerance and inability to separate alpha/proton particles using pulse shape discrimination (PSD) method restrict its applicability in fast neutron spectroscopy. The significant cross-sections for ³⁵Cl(n,p)³⁵S and ³⁵Cl(n, α)³²P reactions make ³⁵Cl-containing crystals attractive candidates for fast neutron detection, prompting their development as a promising new solution. This study reports the growth of LaCl₃ crystals via the Bridgman technique, enabling further exploration of their scintillation and material properties for fast neutron detection applications. The effects of the proton irradiation on LaCl₃ crystals were investigated by irradiating them with a 100 MeV proton beam at the Korea Multi-purpose Accelerator Complex. The study quantified radiation damage by comparing the pre- and post-irradiation scintillation properties and PSD of the LaCl₃ crystals. The results of the measurements demonstrate that LaCl₃ crystals are promising candidates for applications in fast neutron identification, spectroscopy, and space mission, maintaining performance even under high-radiation environments.