Detection of neutrons in a wide energy range with crystalline Gd3Al2Ga3O12, Lu2SiO5 and LaBr3 doped with Ce scintillators

High light yield scintillation materials on the base of lanthanide ions were demonstrated to be a multipurpose scintillation materials. They are widely used to detect $\gamma$–quanta and now become prospective to detect neutrons as well. Neutrons were detected through several distinct low energy $\gamma$–quanta peaks, generated by lanthanide nuclei in the materials under neutrons. Among three crystalline scintillators, namely lutetium oxy-orthosilicate, lanthanum bromide and gadolinium–aluminum–gallium garnet, the Gd₃Al₂Ga₃O₁₂:Ce (GAGG) scintillator showed the best performance and sensitivity due to the low internal background radioactivity and good cross section of neutron capture by natural mixture of the matrix host-creating Gd ions. The material fits the requirements for neutron detector properties — high Gd content and high scintillation light yield, stopping power and reasonable energy resolution for $\gamma$-quanta. These findings create prospects to construct compact multipurpose detectors for space and other application.