Metallic single-walled carbon nanotube for ionized radiation detection

Abstract

In this paper, we have explored the feasibility of a metallic single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) as a radiation detector. The effect of SWCNTs' exposure to different ion irradiations is considered with the displacement damage dose (DDD) methodology. The analytical model of the irradiated resistance of metallic SWCNT has been developed and verified by the experimental data for increasing DDD from 10¹² MeV/g to 10¹⁷ MeV/g. It has been found that the resistance variation of SWCNT by increasing DDD can be significant depending on the length and diameter of SWCNT, such that the DDD as low as 10¹² (MeV/g) can be detected using the SWCNT with 1cm length and 5nm diameter. Increasing the length and diameter of SWCNT can result in both the higher radiation sensitivity of resistance and the extension of detection range to lower DDD.