Nu-Trek has experience with a broad range of radiation detectors. Our detectors are especially well suited for intense pulsed radiation sources such as sources used for effects testing (bremsstrahlung, SXR, gamma, e-beam), inertial confinement fusion, nuclear events, etc. Our better-known products are Nu-Det, a Nuclear Event Detector (NED) and GaAs PCDs (Photoconductive Detectors).

Nu-Det will be the first monolithic nuclear event detector. It initiates a pulse that is used for circumvention 15 ns after the “trip” dose rate is exceeded. Nu-Det is 1/15 the industry standard. The small size is enabling, as it facilitates multi-level circumvention. Nu-Det can be calibrated in-situ, another important advantage, as it eliminates the need to remove the detector for periodic calibration, which results in significant reduction in lifetime costs. Nu-Det will be available for evaluation in mid 2006.

Top package is the anticipated size of Nu-Det (.225”x.225”x.06”) and bottom package is the approximate size of industry standard. Nu-Set is expected to be 1/15 the volume.

Nu-Trek has had a number of contracts to develop GaAs PCDs. We now have 4 different base-line designs that are used for bremsstrahlung, soft x-ray, and for gamma (in pulsed neutron reactor) detection. Each of the baseline designs comes in a range of sensitivities. Most of the detectors have a sub-ns response time, usually less than 200 ps. Shown in the figure are traces taken with one of our faster GaAs PCD types, which has a response time of ~ 30 ps. As can be seen from the figure, the GaAs PCD was capable of resolving the fine structure while the facility PIN diode viewed the signal as a single pulse of average intensity. (Test was conducted at the Idaho Accelerator Center, IAC).

Comparison of the dose rate measured with the Idaho Accelerator Center (IAC) facility PIN diode and the Nu-Trek ultrafast GaAs PCD. Ratio between peak GaAs PCD dose rate and Si PIN diode dose rate was 3.4.

Nu-Trek Scientists also developed Calorimeters, XRDs, and Bolometers for various applications. Each detector type comes in a number of models that are optimized for different applications. Nu-Trek combines the detectors, filters, and optical components and uses them to construct diagnostics such as Fluence, Flux, Dose, Dose Rate, and Voltage Monitors as well as Spectrographs and Spectrometers. Nu-Trek’s detectors are designed so that their response can accurately be calculated from first principles. This translates into highly accurate and easy to calibrate detectors and instruments. Nu-Trek’s detectors are used as building blocks for Nu-Trek’s custom instrumentation and are not sold separately.