High Energy Physics (HEP)

Calorimeters and tracking systems (trackers) are two of the most common HEP systems that use scintillating and wavelength-shifting (WLS) fibers.

Calorimeters measure the energy of electrons, photons and hadrons. The electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) and the hadronic calorimeter (HCAL) are two significant calorimeters that make up part of most modern high energy physics detectors. Most large, modern detectors have both an electromagnetic calorimeter and a hadronic calorimeter.

Tracking systems are used to track the trajectory of electrically charged particles within particle detectors. Historically, these types of systems were solid state trackers (also known as silicon trackers), which began in 1980 with the advent of semiconductors.

Due to improvements in SiPM technology, scintillating fiber trackers are becoming more widespread and offer significant benefits over silicon trackers. These include a faster, lower cost, flexible detector that can operate in radiation hard environments with similar resolution to silicon trackers.

Muon Detection

What is a Muon? Muons are found in the cosmic radiation near the earth’s surface. Scintillating fibers are an efficient material for utilizing muons to visualize and inspect bridge structures. This muon tomography technology is new and will continue to improve for use in many other applications.

Fibers have been used in canes spools and ribbons as a great solution for these projects.

3D Printing

Our unclad fiber can be used as a filament feed material for 3D printers. This allows end users to form scintillating material into complex shapes as needed.

With the global growth of additive manufacturing, the use of 3D printing has expanded into more and more complex applications, including those that use scintillators.

Industrial Gauging

Our fibers are used in conjunction with an x-ray source to measure the contents within enclosed containers. Breweries to chemical suppliers and beyond, the need to measure the contents within enclosed containers without exposure or contamination.

Recreation

A little-known use for "colored" fiber is for bow site archery. The fiber collects the low ambient light to provide a lighted site pin to line up the target.

The BCF-XL series of scintillating fibers has improved, market-leading attenuation length for optimal, reliable performance in a wide range of applications. Additionally, Luxium can customize new formulations to meet your specific needs.

Formulations

Scintillating Fibers

* For Minimum Ionizing Particle (MIP), corrected for PMT sensitivity​

** For 1mm diameter fiber, measured using Silicon Photodiode

Emission Spectra

Samples

Luxium Solutions provides the following scintillating fiber samples in 0.5mm or 1.00mm diameter in 1m length canes. Custom diameters and lengths may be available upon request.

BCF-12XL

BCF-9998XL

BCF-20XL

BCF-60XL

The BCF-XL series of wavelength-shifting fibers has improved, market-leading attenuation length for optimal, reliable performance in a wide range of applications. Additionally, Luxium can customize new formulations to meet your specific needs.

Formulations

Optical Fibers

* For Minimum Ionizing Particle (MIP), corrected for PMT sensitivity​

** For 1mm diameter fiber, measured using Silicon Photodiode

Absorption and Emission Spectra

Samples

Luxium Solutions provides the following scintillating fiber samples in 0.5mm or 1.00mm diameter in 1m length canes. Custom diameters and lengths may be available upon request.

BCF-9995XL

BCF-91AXL

BCF-92XL

BCF-9929AXL

The BCF-XL series of wavelength-shifting fibers has improved, market-leading attenuation length for optimal, reliable performance in a wide range of applications. Additionally, Luxium can customize new formulations to meet your specific needs.

Core:

The scintillating core is polystyrene-based and contains a combination of fluorescent dopants selected to produce the desired scintillation, optical and radiation resistance characteristics. Often, one property is enhanced while another is mildly compromised. In small fibers (< 0.5mm), the fluor concentration may be increased on request, usually at the expense of light attenuation length. These fibers yield about 8,000 photons per MeV deposited.

Cladding:

PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate, C5 H8 O2) is the standard cladding material for Luxium Solutions’ fibers. It has a density of 1.2 g/cc and a refractive index of 1.49. The refractive indices of the core and cladding and the cross sectional shape of the fiber determine the trapping efficiency. In round fibers, the trapping efficiency also depends on the distance between the fiber axis and the scintillation event. The trapping efficiency of Luxium Solutions’ round fibers ranges from 3.4% for events occurring at the fiber axis to approximately 7% for events near the core-cladding interface.

Cross-section:

All Luxium fiber formulations can be manufactured in round or square dimensons.

* Diameters outside this range could be considered based on business justification/feasibility​.

* Diameters outside this range could be considered based on business justification/feasibility​.

Luxium fibers are available in spools, canes or ribbons and can manufactured to various dimensions.

Spools

• Available in 0.5 – 2mm diameter (>2mm diameter cannot be spooled, must be canes)
• Diameters outside this range could be considered based on business justification/feasibility

Canes

• Available in 0.5 – 4.5m* lengths
• Available in rough-cut (standard) or diamond-milled end finish (additional cost)
• Rough cut end length tolerance: +2/-0 mm
• Diamond-milled end length tolerance: +/- 0.25mm

Ribbons

• Available for all standard formulations and sizes
• Standard Ribbon Length: 50 (2”) – 3300 (130”) mm
• Width: 508mm (20”) maximum
• Ribbon standard end finish options
• Rough-Cut Finish: +/- 12.7mm (+/- 0.5”)
• Diamond-Mill Finish:
  • <2m ribbon length: +/- 0.25mm
  • >2m ribbon length: +/- 1mm