Neutron detection with a NaIL-detector

Neutron detection is of crucial importance in the fields of verification and disarmament due to the difficulty of shielding neutrons compared to gamma radiation. Due to the global shortage of 3He the exploration of alternatives are necessary. One promising approach is the use of 6Li, which captures neutrons through the reaction 6Li(n,t)𝛼.
This study introduces the NaIL detector, which incorporates 6Li into sodium iodide (NaI), a proven material for gamma detection. Gamma and neutron radiation can be differentiated using pulse shape analysis. Measurements were conducted with various neutron sources to evaluate the performance of the detector, including its ability to detect sources producing radiation fields just above background levels. Further investigations examined the impact of moderator materials (e.g. HDPE), the gamma spectrum resolution, and the overall detection efficiency. NaIL results were compared to those from 3He-based detectors.