Efficient X-ray Attenuation Lead-Free AgBi₂I₇ Halide Rudorffite Alternative for Sensitive and Stable X-ray Detection

Abstract

The poor attenuation capability of high-energy X-ray photons hinders the application of X-ray detectors in medical and astrophysical areas. Halide-based perovskites are promising candidates for X-ray detection because of their improved sensitivity. However, their inferior attenuation coefficient is still unsatisfactory for broadband X-ray detection. Here, a new kind of X-ray detection material, AgBi₂I₇ rudorffite single crystal (SC), is prepared and applied in X-ray detection for the first time, and it shows a higher attenuation coefficient than halide-based perovskites, commercialized a-Se, and the currently outstanding Cd_0.9Zn_0.1Te (CZT). The AgBi₂I₇ rudorffite SCs possess outstanding electric properties and excellent stability. AgBi₂I₇-SC detectors demonstrate a limit of detection (LoD) of 72 nGy_air s^-1 and a sensitivity of 282.5 μC Gy_air^-1cm^-2 to X-rays and show only a slight performance degradation after ontinuous X-ray irradiation with a total dose of 58 Gy_air. This work opens up a new perspective and broad opportunities for halide rudorffite in X-ray detection.