All-optical, rapid readout, fiber-coupled thermoluminescent dosimeter system

A thermoluminescent radiation dosimeter system for the remote monitoring of radiation sources, said system comprising:

• a radiation-sensitive thermoluminescent dosimeter disposed at a remote location for storing energy from ionizing radiation when exposed thereto and for releasing the stored energy in the form of thermoluminescence light at a first wavelength when stimulated by exposure to light energy at a predetermined stimulating second wavelength, said thermoluminescent dosimeter including:
• an optically transparent glass matrix material doped with nanocrystalline semiconductor particles;
• and a metal activator within said optically transparent glass matrix material for said nanocrystalline semiconductor particles, said metal activator being present in a concentration effective to thermoluminescently activate said nanocrystalline semiconductor particles when said thermoluminescent dosimeter is stimulated by stimulating light energy at the predetermined stimulating second wavelength, said doped glass matrix material being transparent to its thermoluminescent emissions;
• an optical source for providing stimulating light energy at the predetermined stimulating second wavelength;
• a thermoluminescent detector for measuring thermoluminescent emissions at the first wavelength;
• and
• an optical fiber for passing the predetermined stimulating light energy from said optical source to said thermoluminescent dosimeter to stimulate said thermoluminescent dosimeter to produce thermoluminescence light from stored energy and for passing the thermoluminescence light to said thermoluminescent detector to enable said thermoluminescent detector to measure any thermoluminescent emissions occuring when the thermoluminescent dosimeter is heated by the light energy at the predetermined stimulating second wavelength.