A compact and sensitive avalanche photodiode-based gamma detection and spectroscopy system

Abstract

This research presents the design of a simple and compact yet sensitive gamma detection system which finds optimal utility in student research and demonstration purposes. The design is based on an Avalanche Photodiode (APD), a compact solid-state device. It was argued that, by the virtue of its concise size, simplicity and lower cost, an APD based gamma detection system is a better alternative in these applications as compared to the high-cost and complex Photomultiplier (PMT) based detector systems. This paper provides the basic working details of our design and preliminary test results.