Charged particle detection using storage phosphor crystals

We propose a precise position detector based on photostimulated luminescence (PSL), a principle never used before to detect individual charged tracks. In this detector the particle tracks produce long-lived defects (color centers) in an active medium. Exposure to visible light later reveals the presence and spatial location of these defects and eliminates them thus “resetting” the medium. We demonstrate the vitality of the principle by detecting α-particles with a mean signal of 200 photoelectrons. We estimate relativistic particles to yield 50 photoelectrons per millimeter of track. This technique potentially provides a cost effective way to achieve a space resolution of tens of microns and excellent pattern recognition capability over a large area in accelerator neutrino experiments