Recent Progress in Halide Perovskite Radiation Detectors for Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy

Detecting hard X-rays and γ-rays with high energy resolution is critical for medical and industrial applications, high-energy fundamental physics, and homeland security. Two types of radiation detectors, indirect-conversion (scintillators) and direct-conversion (solid-state) detectors, are the most widely used technologies. Semiconductor-based detectors that can directly convert γ-rays into an electrical signal and operate at room temperature are especially important as portable and cost-efficient detectors with high sensitivity and energy resolution. Recently, lead halide perovskites have attracted enormous interest for γ-ray detection, and significant progress has been made toward practical detectors using perovskites as active materials. In this Review, we start with the fundamentals of γ-ray detection and review the recent developments in halide perovskite γ-ray detectors. The key factors affecting the detector performance are summarized. We also give an outlook on the field, with emphasis on the challenges to be overcome.