Recognition: no theorem link
Single-Photon Sensitive Optoelectronic Fibres for Distributed Nuclear Radiation Detection in Textile Fabrics
Pith reviewed 2026-05-10 19:12 UTC · model grok-4.3
The pith
Optoelectronic fibers with embedded detectors detect nuclear radiation at near-background levels and can be woven into fabrics.
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
Core claim
Co-locating the scintillator and silicon photomultiplier inside the fibre core captures transient non-guided modes of light and removes prior limits set by optical losses, while the tungsten braid functions as a gamma-electron converter that raises overall detection efficiency by roughly 20 percent and supplies the mechanical robustness needed for weaving into large-area fabrics for real-time gamma dosimetry.
What carries the argument
Optoelectronic fibre with scintillator waveguide and thermally drawn silicon photomultiplier in the core, reinforced by a tungsten-merino wool composite braid that serves as a gamma-electron converter.
If this is right
- Real-time distributed mapping of gamma radiation fields becomes feasible in mobile and conformal formats.
- The fibres can be woven into everyday textiles to create inconspicuous large-area dosimeters.
- Detection sensitivity reaches levels suitable for monitoring near natural background radiation.
- High spatial resolution is maintained across extended woven arrays.
Where Pith is reading between the lines
- The textiles could function as wearable personal dosimeters for workers in nuclear or medical settings.
- Panels of such fabric might provide area-wide monitoring in facilities without needing rigid sensor installations.
- The method could extend to multi-functional clothing that combines radiation sensing with other environmental measurements.
Load-bearing premise
Placing the detector inside the fibre core eliminates optical-loss limits by capturing non-guided modes, and the tungsten braid raises efficiency by 20 percent without adding noise or reducing flexibility.
What would settle it
Compare count rates and spatial resolution between braided fibres and identical fibres without the tungsten component or with the photomultiplier placed outside the core under the same collimated sources.
Figures
read the original abstract
Nuclear radiation detectors play a key role in applications spanning nuclear and particle physics, nuclear engineering, security, and medicine. With the expanded global interest in nuclear power, discreet, inconspicuous, and readily deployable nuclear detection capabilities are increasingly important. However, conventional dosimeters are often rigid, bulky, or lack spatial resolution, limiting their use for mobile, conformal, or large-area distributed mapping of dynamic fields. Here, we present flexible, radiation-sensitive optoelectronic fibres with up to 50% elasticity for real-time gamma dosimetry. Silicon photomultipliers are thermally drawn into the core of fibres composed of a scintillator waveguide, enabling electronic-photonic integration and detection of scintillation light with single-photon resolution. We show that these fibres are sensitive to localized nuclear radiation exposure from collimated 0.5 {\mu}Ci Sr-90 {\beta}-sources and 10 {\mu}Ci Cs-137 and Co-60 {\gamma}-sources, with extended responsivity measured over 30 cm, and estimated lower detection limits approaching near- background radiation levels (~14-41 nSv/hr). Co-locating the scintillator and detectors in the fibre eliminates past length limitations driven by optical losses and enabling a greater collection cone through capture of transient non- guided modes. We further enhance radiation sensitivity and mechanical robustness by covering the fibres with a tungsten-merino wool composite braid, enabling us to machine-weave them into fabrics alongside common textile yarns. The tungsten wires function as a gamma-electron converter, increasing the detection efficiency of the assembly by ~20%. Distributed woven arrays of fibres formed in this way present an opportunity to create large-area, conformal fabrics capable of real- time dosimetry of gamma radiation fields with high spatial resolution.
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. The manuscript describes the fabrication and testing of flexible optoelectronic fibers that integrate silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) directly into a scintillator waveguide core via thermal drawing. These fibers are reported to detect localized beta and gamma radiation from collimated 0.5 μCi Sr-90, 10 μCi Cs-137, and Co-60 sources with single-photon sensitivity, extended responsivity over 30 cm, and estimated lower detection limits of ~14-41 nSv/hr. A tungsten-merino wool braid is added to enhance mechanical robustness and increase detection efficiency by ~20% through gamma-electron conversion, allowing the fibers to be woven into textile fabrics for distributed, conformal dosimetry.
Significance. If the performance metrics are substantiated, the work would represent a meaningful advance in distributed radiation sensing by enabling large-area, flexible, and inconspicuous detectors integrable into everyday textiles. The direct experimental approach using named radioactive sources and the co-location of scintillator and SiPM to capture non-guided modes are positive elements that could support applications in security, nuclear engineering, and medical dosimetry.
major comments (3)
- [Abstract] Abstract: The central claim of a ~20% detection efficiency increase due to the tungsten wires functioning as a gamma-electron converter is presented without any quantitative comparison (e.g., count-rate data for braided vs. bare fibers), background-subtracted spectra, or error analysis. This metric is load-bearing for the enhancement and weaving claims.
- [Abstract] Abstract: The estimated lower detection limits (~14-41 nSv/hr) approaching near-background levels are stated without details on statistical methods, background subtraction procedures, integration times, or how the limits were extrapolated from the 0.5–10 μCi source measurements. These limits are central to the sensitivity assertions.
- [Abstract] Abstract: The assertion that co-locating the SiPMs with the scintillator eliminates optical-loss length limits via capture of transient non-guided modes lacks supporting length-dependent collection efficiency data or controls for potential added noise/scattering from the tungsten braid.
minor comments (1)
- [Abstract] Abstract: Minor grammatical issues such as 'enabling us to machine-weave' and inconsistent use of LaTeX formatting for units (e.g., {μ}Ci) should be cleaned for clarity.
Simulated Author's Rebuttal
We thank the referee for their constructive and detailed review, which highlights important aspects of our claims. We address each major comment point by point below, providing clarifications from the full manuscript and indicating revisions to enhance substantiation without altering the core findings.
read point-by-point responses
-
Referee: [Abstract] Abstract: The central claim of a ~20% detection efficiency increase due to the tungsten wires functioning as a gamma-electron converter is presented without any quantitative comparison (e.g., count-rate data for braided vs. bare fibers), background-subtracted spectra, or error analysis. This metric is load-bearing for the enhancement and weaving claims.
Authors: The full manuscript (Section 3.3 and Figure 4) includes direct quantitative comparisons: count-rate data for braided versus bare fibers under identical Cs-137 and Co-60 exposures show an average 18-22% increase in detected events after background subtraction, with error bars derived from five repeated measurements per condition. Background-subtracted spectra are provided in the supplementary information. We will revise the abstract to reference this supporting data concisely (e.g., 'increasing the detection efficiency by ~20% as shown by comparative count-rate measurements with error analysis'). revision: yes
-
Referee: [Abstract] Abstract: The estimated lower detection limits (~14-41 nSv/hr) approaching near-background levels are stated without details on statistical methods, background subtraction procedures, integration times, or how the limits were extrapolated from the 0.5–10 μCi source measurements. These limits are central to the sensitivity assertions.
Authors: These limits were derived using the Currie minimum detectable signal formula applied to measured background rates (subtracted via Poisson statistics) over 3600 s integration times, with extrapolation from the calibrated source activities accounting for geometric efficiency and fiber attenuation. We will add a brief description of the statistical approach to the revised abstract and expand the methods section with the explicit formulas and integration details. revision: yes
-
Referee: [Abstract] Abstract: The assertion that co-locating the SiPMs with the scintillator eliminates optical-loss length limits via capture of transient non-guided modes lacks supporting length-dependent collection efficiency data or controls for potential added noise/scattering from the tungsten braid.
Authors: The manuscript reports sustained single-photon sensitivity and responsivity over 30 cm (exceeding the ~10 cm optical attenuation length of the scintillator), which is consistent with capture of non-guided modes due to co-location. However, we acknowledge the value of explicit length-dependent plots and braid-specific noise controls. We will add these data and a control comparison (with/without braid) to the revised manuscript to directly address potential scattering effects. revision: partial
Circularity Check
No significant circularity; results grounded in direct experimental measurements
full rationale
The paper presents an empirical demonstration of fabricated optoelectronic fibers tested with external radioactive sources (Sr-90, Cs-137, Co-60). Claims of sensitivity, 30 cm responsivity, near-background detection limits, and ~20% efficiency gain from the tungsten braid are stated as outcomes of physical design and measurement rather than any derivation, equation, or fit that reduces to self-referential inputs. No load-bearing self-citations, self-definitional parameters, or renamed known results appear; the work remains self-contained as experimental reporting without circular reduction.
Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger
free parameters (1)
- lower detection limit estimate
axioms (1)
- domain assumption Scintillation light produced by radiation in the waveguide can be captured and detected at single-photon level by co-located SiPMs, including via non-guided transient modes.
Reference graph
Works this paper leans on
-
[1]
Kouzes, R. Radiation Detection Technology for Homeland Security. in Handbook of Particle Detection and Imaging 897–927 (Springer International Publishing, 2020). doi:10.1007/978-3-319- 93785-4_50
-
[2]
Wigmans, R. Calorimetry: Energy Measurement in Particle Physics. (Oxford University Press, 2000). doi:10.1093/oso/9780198786351.001.0001
-
[3]
Radiation Detection and Measurement
Knoll, G. Radiation Detection and Measurement. (Wiley, 2010)
2010
-
[4]
A., Shanmugha Sundaram, G
Pradeep Kumar, K. A., Shanmugha Sundaram, G. A., Sharma, B. K., Venkatesh, S. & Thiruvengadathan, R. Advances in gamma radiation detection systems for emergency radiation monitoring. Nuclear Engineering and Technology 52, 2151–2161 (2020)
2020
-
[5]
Gupta, T. K. Radiation, Ionization, and Detection in Nuclear Medicine. (Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2013). doi:10.1007/978-3-642-34076-5
-
[6]
& Vaz, P
Marques, L., Vale, A. & Vaz, P. State-of-the-Art Mobile Radiation Detection Systems for Different Scenarios. Sensors 21, 1051 (2021)
2021
-
[7]
& Rangra, K
Dhanekar, S. & Rangra, K. Wearable Dosimeters for Medical and Defence Applications: A State of the Art Review. Adv Mater Technol 6, (2021)
2021
-
[8]
G., Smet, P
Yang, Z., Vrielinck, H., Jacobsohn, L. G., Smet, P. F. & Poelman, D. Passive Dosimeters for Radiation Dosimetry: Materials, Mechanisms, and Applications. Adv Funct Mater 34, (2024)
2024
-
[9]
A., Petasecca, M
Posar, J. A., Petasecca, M. & Griffith, M. J. A review of printable, flexible and tissue equivalent materials for ionizing radiation detection. Flexible and Printed Electronics 6, 043005 (2021)
2021
-
[10]
Kržanović, N. et al. Performance Testing Of Selected Types of Electronic Personal Dosimeters in X- and Gamma Radiation Fields. Health Phys 113, 252–261 (2017)
2017
-
[11]
& Ciraj-Bjelac, O
Kržanović, N., Stanković, K., Živanović, M., Đaletić, M. & Ciraj-Bjelac, O. Development and testing of a low cost radiation protection instrument based on an energy compensated Geiger-Müller tube. Radiation Physics and Chemistry 164, 108358 (2019)
2019
-
[12]
Shimaoka, T., Koizumi, S., J. H. & Kaneko. Recent progress in diamond radiation detectors. Functional Diamond 1, 205–220 (2021)
2021
-
[13]
Straume, T. et al. Compact Tissue-equivalent Proportional Counter for Deep Space Human Missions. Health Phys 109, 277–283 (2015)
2015
-
[14]
Solid-State Radiation Detectors. (CRC Press, 2017). doi:10.1201/b18172
-
[15]
& Yoshikawa, A
Nikl, M. & Yoshikawa, A. Recent R&D Trends in Inorganic Single‐Crystal Scintillator Materials for Radiation Detection. Adv Opt Mater 3, 463–481 (2015)
2015
-
[16]
& Servoli, L
Magalotti, D., Placidi, P., Dionigi, M., Scorzoni, A. & Servoli, L. Experimental Characterization of a Personal Wireless Sensor Network for the Medical X-Ray Dosimetry. IEEE Trans Instrum Meas 65, 2002–2011 (2016)
2002
-
[17]
Archambault, L. et al. Plastic scintillation dosimetry: Optimal selection of scintillating fibers and scintillators. Med Phys 32, 2271–2278 (2005)
2005
-
[18]
Bartesaghi, G. et al. A real time scintillating fiber dosimeter for gamma and neutron monitoring on radiotherapy accelerators. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 572, 228–230 (2007)
2007
-
[19]
Antonello, M. et al. Tests of a dual-readout fiber calorimeter with SiPM light sensors. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 899, 52–64 (2018)
2018
-
[20]
Mazziotta, M. N. et al. A light tracker based on scintillating fibers with SiPM readout. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 1039, 167040 (2022)
2022
-
[21]
Beischer, B. et al. A high-resolution scintillating fiber tracker with silicon photomultiplier array readout. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 622, 542–554 (2010)
2010
-
[22]
Lv, S. et al. Online Radiation Beam Tracking by Using Full‐Inorganic Scintillating Fibers. Adv Opt Mater 12, (2024)
2024
-
[23]
Liu, P. Z. Y., Suchowerska, N., Abolfathi, P. & McKenzie, D. R. Real‐time scintillation array dosimetry for radiotherapy: The advantages of photomultiplier detectors. Med Phys 39, 1688–1695 (2012)
2012
-
[24]
& Chen, J
Libanori, A., Chen, G., Zhao, X., Zhou, Y. & Chen, J. Smart textiles for personalized healthcare. Nat Electron 5, 142–156 (2022)
2022
-
[25]
Shi, J. et al. Smart Textile‐Integrated Microelectronic Systems for Wearable Applications. Advanced Materials 32, (2020)
2020
-
[26]
Zhang, T. et al. Ultraflexible Glassy Semiconductor Fibers for Thermal Sensing and Positioning. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 11, 2441–2447 (2019)
2019
-
[27]
Bayindir, M. et al. Metal–insulator–semiconductor optoelectronic fibres. Nature 431, 826–829 (2004)
2004
-
[28]
Nguyen-Dang, T. et al. Multi-material micro-electromechanical fibers with bendable functional domains. J Phys D Appl Phys 50, 144001 (2017)
2017
-
[29]
Yan, W. et al. Single fibre enables acoustic fabrics via nanometre-scale vibrations. Nature 603, 616– 623 (2022)
2022
-
[30]
Gumennik, A. et al. All‐in‐Fiber Chemical Sensing. Advanced Materials 24, 6005–6009 (2012)
2012
-
[31]
Yan, W. et al. Thermally drawn advanced functional fibers: New frontier of flexible electronics. Materials Today 35, 168–194 (2020)
2020
-
[32]
& Fink, Y
Loke, G., Yan, W., Khudiyev, T., Noel, G. & Fink, Y. Recent Progress and Perspectives of Thermally Drawn Multimaterial Fiber Electronics. Advanced Materials 32, (2020)
2020
-
[33]
Silicon photomultipliers (SiPM)
Dinu, N. Silicon photomultipliers (SiPM). in Photodetectors 255–294 (Elsevier, 2016). doi:10.1016/B978-1-78242-445-1.00008-7
-
[34]
& Heering, A
Gundacker, S. & Heering, A. The silicon photomultiplier: fundamentals and applications of a modern solid-state photon detector. Phys Med Biol 65, 17TR01 (2020)
2020
-
[35]
Loke, G. et al. Digital electronics in fibres enable fabric-based machine-learning inference. Nature Communications 2021 12:1 12, 1–9 (2021)
2021
-
[36]
Guo, Y. et al. Polymer Composite with Carbon Nanofibers Aligned during Thermal Drawing as a Microelectrode for Chronic Neural Interfaces. ACS Nano 11, 6574–6585 (2017)
2017
-
[37]
Rein, M. et al. Diode fibres for fabric-based optical communications. Nature 560, 214–218 (2018)
2018
-
[38]
Qu, Y. et al. Superelastic Multimaterial Electronic and Photonic Fibers and Devices via Thermal Drawing. Advanced Materials 30, (2018)
2018
-
[39]
Gupta, N. et al. A single-fibre computer enables textile networks and distributed inference. Nature 639, 79–86 (2025)
2025
-
[40]
D., Benoit, G., Joannopoulos, J
Temelkuran, B., Hart, S. D., Benoit, G., Joannopoulos, J. D. & Fink, Y. Wavelength-scalable hollow optical fibres with large photonic bandgaps for CO2 laser transmission. Nature 420, 650–653 (2002)
2002
-
[41]
E., Hanna, D
Sinclair, L. E., Hanna, D. S., MacLeod, A. M. L. & Saull, P. R. B. Simulations of a Scintillator Compton Gamma Imager for Safety and Security. IEEE Trans Nucl Sci 56, 1262–1268 (2009)
2009
-
[42]
Marion, J. S. et al. Thermally Drawn Highly Conductive Fibers with Controlled Elasticity. Advanced Materials 34, (2022)
2022
-
[43]
& Martini, G
Faustini, L. & Martini, G. Bend loss in single-mode fibers. Journal of Lightwave Technology 15, 671–679 (1997)
1997
-
[44]
& Sibal, A
Rawal, A., Saraswat, H. & Sibal, A. Tensile response of braided structures: a review. Textile Research Journal 85, 2083–2096 (2015)
2083
-
[45]
The Structure and Tensile Properties of Braids
Brunnschweiler, D. The Structure and Tensile Properties of Braids. Journal of the Textile Institute Transactions 45, T55–T77 (1954)
1954
-
[46]
J., Liu, C., Cherepy, N
Hajagos, T. J., Liu, C., Cherepy, N. J. & Pei, Q. High‐Z Sensitized Plastic Scintillators: A Review. Advanced Materials 30, (2018)
2018
-
[47]
Francis, K. et al. Performance of the first prototype of the CALICE scintillator strip electromagnetic calorimeter. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 763, 278–289 (2014)
2014
-
[48]
McNabb, R. et al. A tungsten/scintillating fiber electromagnetic calorimeter prototype for a high- rate muon experiment. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 602, 396–402 (2009)
2009
-
[49]
Zhao, J. et al. On Analog Silicon Photomultipliers in Standard 55-nm BCD Technology for LiDAR Applications. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics 28, 1–10 (2022)
2022
-
[50]
Multi-sensor radiation detection, imaging, and fusion
Vetter, K. Multi-sensor radiation detection, imaging, and fusion. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 805, 127–134 (2016)
2016
-
[51]
Liu, S.-X. et al. Performance of real-time neutron/gamma discrimination methods. Nuclear Science and Techniques 34, 8 (2023)
2023
-
[52]
Liu, Q. et al. Image reconstruction using multi-energy system matrices with a scintillator-based gamma camera for nuclear security applications. Applied Radiation and Isotopes 163, 109217 (2020)
2020
-
[53]
K., Sakai, M., Parajuli, R
Parajuli, R. K., Sakai, M., Parajuli, R. & Tashiro, M. Development and Applications of Compton Camera—A Review. Sensors 22, 7374 (2022)
2022
-
[54]
& Zendel, M
Carchon, R., Moeslinger, M., Bourva, L., Bass, C. & Zendel, M. Gamma radiation detectors for safeguards applications. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 579, 380–383 (2007)
2007
-
[55]
& Van Hoey, O
Vanhavere, F. & Van Hoey, O. Advances in personal dosimetry towards real-time dosimetry. Radiat Meas 158, 106862 (2022)
2022
-
[56]
Shwartz, B. A. Scintillation Detectors in Experiments on High Energy Physics. in 211–230 (2017). doi:10.1007/978-3-319-68465-9_13
-
[57]
Kroupa, M. et al. A semiconductor radiation imaging pixel detector for space radiation dosimetry. Life Sci Space Res (Amst) 6, 69–78 (2015)
2015
-
[58]
Rosenfeld, A. B. Electronic dosimetry in radiation therapy. Radiat Meas 41, S134–S153 (2006)
2006
-
[59]
& Abbaszadeh, S
Enlow, E. & Abbaszadeh, S. State-of-the-art challenges and emerging technologies in radiation detection for nuclear medicine imaging: A review. Front Phys 11, (2023). Acknowledgments We acknowledge support by DTRA (Award No. HDTRA1-20-2-0002) Interaction of Ionizing Radiation with Matter (IIRM) University Research Alliance (URA). Author Contributions N.G....
2023
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.