Radiation resistant PIDECα cell using photon intermediate direct energy conversion and a 210Po source

Highlights: • Demonstration of Photon Intermediate Energy Conversion or PIDEC using alpha particles. • Demonstration of PIDEC's ability to negate effects of radiation damage. • Demonstration of radiation resistant nuclear battery which can use high energy ions. - Abstract: Radiation damage is a significant concern with both alphavoltaic and betavoltaic cells because their performance degrades, especially with high-energy - (>200 keV) beta and alpha particles. Indirect excitation methods, such as the Photon Intermediate Direct Energy Conversion (PIDEC) framework, can protect the transducer from radiation. A nuclear battery using a ⁹⁰Sr beta source was constructed by the author's research group, which demonstrated the radiation resistance of a PIDEC cell driven by beta particles (PIDECβ cell). Use of alpha sources to drive nuclear batteries would appear to be much more attractive than beta sources due to higher potential power density. However, they are also subject to higher rates of radiation damage. This paper describes the successful incorporation of alpha particles into the PIDEC framework using the alpha emitter ²¹⁰Po to form a PIDECα cell. The PIDECα cell transducer was exposed to alpha particles for over one year without experiencing adverse effects from radiation damage.