h-BN Single Crystal Alpha Particle Detector With Robust Performance in Complex Electromagnetic Fields

An alpha particle detector, fabricated from high-quality hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) single crystals grown via the metal solvent method, is capable of operating in a wide electromagnetic spectrum environment. The detector response to alpha particles and photons across various wavelengths was thoroughly investigated. The results demonstrate that the detector exhibits low leakage current (2.4 pA at 100V) and specific capacitance (38 pF/cm²), ensuring a high signal-to-noise ratio during alpha particle detection. At a bias voltage of 570 V, the detector achieves an energy resolution of 27.3% for 5.486 MeV alpha particles emitted by a 241Am source. Additionally, the detector shows almost no photocurrent response in both the visible and solar-blind ultraviolet ranges. Simulation results further confirm that the energy deposition from X-ray and gamma rays is well below the detection threshold, highlighting the detector’s strong resistance to interference across a broad electromagnetic spectrum. These findings underscore the exceptional performance of h-BN-based alpha particle detector for detecting alpha particles in complex electromagnetic environments.