Defects as Foe or Friend: The Development of Silicon Carbide from Nuclear Batteries to Quantum Sensors
Abstract: Silicon carbide (SiC) is well suited for radiation sensing in harsh environments due to its wide bandgap (3.2 eV for 4H-SiC), strong radiation tolerance, and high-temperature resilience. There are still many untapped research topics in this area: high-temperature applications, fast neutron detection for fission and fusion systems, use as an alternative to silicon for low-energy X-ray detection, SiC avalanche photodiodes for UV light detection, nuclear batteries, and even emerging work in quantum sensing due to its spin defects and potential for lab-on-chip device integration. In this talk, I will present our work on developing SiC for alpha spectroscopy, demonstrating performance up to 500 °C, its application in nuclear batteries, and our initial efforts toward quantum sensors for reactor dose monitoring, as well as future directions for MeV neutron detection.
This seminar is also given as an IEEE NPSS Distinguished Lecture.
Bio: Dr. L. Raymond Cao is a Professor and Director of the Nuclear Engineering Program at The Ohio State University (OSU), where he has also served as Director of the OSU Nuclear Reactor Laboratory since 2016. He earned his B.S. in nuclear physics from Lanzhou University in 1994, M.S. in nuclear physics from the China Institute of Atomic Energy in 2002, and his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2007. Before joining OSU in 2009, Dr. Cao completed postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School and at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Dr. Cao’s research is at the intersection of applied physics and nuclear engineering, with a focus on radiation detection and sensing technologies. He has published ~ 200 journal and conference papers and holds 30 patents. He currently serves as a Senior Editor for IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Distinguished Lecturer, and as a member of the editorial board of Nuclear Science and Engineering. Dr. Cao is a member of the Executive Committee of the Isotopes and Radiation Division (IRD) of the American Nuclear Society, where he served as Chair from 2015 to 2016. He was also appointed by Governor Mike DeWine to the Ohio Nuclear Development Authority committee in 2024.