Color-phase readout radiochromic photonic crystal dosimeter

Summary

The development of power-free, wide-range, and real-time visible radiation dosimeters is highly desirable but challenging. Here, we report a new dosimetry concept based on the continuous and linear Bragg wavelength shift of photonic crystals in response to X-ray or γ-ray radiation. As a proof of concept, three distinct photonic crystal dosimeters with high spatial resolution and tunable responsive range from 0 up to 225 kGy were demonstrated based on the decrease of lattice distance caused by chain scission or crosslinking of polymer networks. Compared with the conventional radiochromic dosimeters, this design possesses more flexibility in composition or microstructure and exceptional pre-irradiation stability against light and temperature. In addition, their uniqueness leads to convenient device-free readout techniques through naked-eye color-strip calibration and cell phone-based measurement using hue value detection. In conclusion, our work presents the necessary dosimeters for more direct and effective dose verification in industrial and medical applications.