Description
LYSO (Lu₁₋ₓYₓSiO₅) Scintillator Crystal – Full Specifications & Advantages
Key Advantages
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Exceptional Light Output (33,200 Photons/MeV)
Emits intense blue light (peak wavelength: 420 nm) with one of the highest photon yields among scintillators, ensuring superior signal-to-noise ratios. This enables precise energy measurement and enhances image contrast in PET applications.
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Ultra-Fast Decay Time (36–38 ns)
Significantly faster than BGO or NaI(Tl), minimizing signal pile-up even in high-count-rate environments (e.g., busy clinical PET centers). Critical for time-of-flight (TOF) PET, where temporal resolution directly improves image quality and reduces scan time.
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High Density (7.35 g/cm³)
Maximizes stopping power for gamma rays and energetic particles, ensuring efficient absorption and reducing radiation penetration—ideal for compact detectors and high-energy radiation (e.g., 511 keV positron annihilation photons in PET).
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Superior Energy Resolution
Combined with its high light output, LYSO offers excellent energy discrimination, enabling clear separation of multiple radiation sources (e.g., distinguishing radiotracers in multi-isotope studies).
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Non-Hygroscopic & Chemically Stable
Unlike NaI(Tl), LYSO is completely non-hygroscopic (no moisture absorption) and resistant to chemical attack, eliminating the need for complex sealing. This simplifies device design and ensures long-term stability in humid or harsh environments.
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High Radiation Hardness (>10⁸ rad)
Withstands intense radiation fields without performance degradation, making it suitable for high-dose applications like particle colliders and industrial radiation monitoring.
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Mechanical Durability
A Mohs hardness of 5.8 ensures resistance to scratching and handling damage during detector assembly, while a high melting point (2323 K / 2050°C) guarantees stability in high-temperature environments.
Core Physical Properties
- Density: 7.35 g/cm³
- Melting point: 2323 K (2050°C)
- Effective atomic number: 65
- Hardness: 5.8 Mohs
- Refractive index: 1.82
- Decay time: 36–38 ns
- Radiation length: 1.15 cm
- Emission wavelength: 420 nm (blue)
- Light yield: 33,200 photons/MeV
- Radiation hardness: >10⁸ rad
- Hygroscopicity: Non-hygroscopic
Q&A Summary
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Q: How does LYSO compare to BGO?
A: LYSO offers 3–4× higher light output and 10× faster decay time than BGO, making it superior for TOF-PET and high-resolution imaging—though at a higher cost, it reduces scan time and improves image quality.
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Q: Is LYSO suitable for TOF-PET?
A: Yes—its fast decay time (36–38 ns) is a key advantage for TOF-PET, where it enables precise time differences between photon detections, improving image contrast and reducing artifacts.
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Q: What is the shelf life of LYSO crystals?
A: Indefinite under proper storage (dry, room temperature). LYSO is chemically stable and does not degrade over time.




