Proton recoil detector of fusion neutrons using natural diamond

Diamond, with its high radiation damage resistance, is an attractive alternative to silicon for neutron measurements in next step fusion experiments. A 200-μm-thick type IIa natural diamond with Ti/Au contacts was tested at the LAMPF-WNR facility by time-of-flight neutron energy identification. The crystal, having a carrier lifetime of up to 1 ns, was arranged in a low-energy-resolution, high-sensitivity proton recoil telescope consisting of a polyethylene radiator and a low-energy-proton Teflon filter. This arrangement is similar to the triton burnup monitor of Croft et al. [Rev. Sci. Instrum. 64, 1418 (1993)], where a silicon photodiode was used as a recoil proton detector. The observed sensitivity for 14 MeV neutrons (DT) is (1.25±0.15)×10−3 counts/neutron. However, a high contribution of neutron-induced events in the diamond, mainly carbon (A=12) recoils, was observed. A one-dimensional calculation for the detector response to carbon recoil and proton deposition is compared to the measurements. Poor e...