Radioactive element content detection method, detection system and application

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of radioactive element detection, and discloses a radioactive element content detection method and system and application, and the detection method comprises the following steps: carrying out quantum state initialization on a diamond nitrogen vacancy color center; converting gamma ray radiation of the to-be-detected sample into an optical signal; converting and amplifying the optical signal and driving a micro coil to obtain an electromagnetic signal; receiving the electric signal through the diamond nitrogen vacancy color center, and outputting a response light signal; converting the response optical signal into a response electric signal; and calculating to obtain the radioactive element content of the to-be-detected sample. According to the method, the detection lower limit of a traditional method is broken through by utilizing the high sensitivity characteristic of quantum sensing, and the content detection of trace radioactive elements is realized; gamma ray radiation is converted and amplified into electric signals which can be received by a diamond nitrogen vacancy color center, so that the coupling difficulty of quantum sensing and radioactive element signals is solved; and a novel high-sensitivity detection means is provided for the fields of environmental safety, food safety and nuclear emergency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of radioactive element detection, and in particular relates to a radioactive element content detection method, a detection system and an application. Background Art

[0002] With the development of the global marine economy and changes in people's dietary patterns, seafood (fish, shellfish, algae, etc.) has become an important source of high-quality protein for humans, with annual consumption accounting for over 20% of total animal protein intake. However, radioactive contamination in the marine environment (e.g., normal nuclear facility emissions, emergency releases during nuclear accidents, and natural uranium-thorium series decay) can accumulate in seafood through bioaccumulation. Typical radionuclides, such as Cs-137, Co-60, and Po-210, can enter the human body through the food chain. Long-term low-dose exposure may cause genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. Consequently, countries have gradually established strict seafood radioactivity screening systems.

[0003] As the world's largest producer and consumer of seafood, my country's coastal waters are affected by land-based radioactive input, natural radiation from seabed sediments, and potential nuclear emergency risks. The radioactive safety of seafood faces multiple challenges, and therefore the requirements for radioactive detection technology are becoming increasingly higher.

[0004] Conventional radioactive element detection technologies are limited by insufficient sensitivity and environmental noise, making it difficult to detect trace amounts of very low-activity radioactive contaminants. Existing detection methods based on scintillator detectors or semiconductor sensors often rely on high-radiation flux excitation signals and have a high threshold response to weak radiation effects, which limits their application in the detection of trace amounts of very low-activity radioactive contaminants. While the emerging diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color center quantum sensing technology offers the potential for high sensitivity, it faces challenges such as difficulty coupling radioactive element signals (such as α, β, and γ rays) with quantum states. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to improve at least one technical problem in the background technology.

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention provides a method for detecting the content of radioactive elements, comprising the following steps: Initialize the quantum state of diamond nitrogen vacancy color centers; Convert the gamma-ray radiation of the sample to be tested into an optical signal; Convert and amplify optical signals to obtain electromagnetic signals; receiving electromagnetic signals through diamond nitrogen vacancy color centers and outputting response optical signals; converting the response optical signal into a response electrical signal; Calculate the radioactive element content of the sample to be tested; The calculation is performed using the following formula: Where: is the activity concentration of the radioactive element in the sample to be tested; The number of electrical signals that respond to the optical signal within the acquisition time. is the background noise count within the acquisition time of the response light signal; is the decay constant of the target radioactive element; is the acquisition time of the response light signal; is the amplification factor of the optical signal; is the mass of the sample to be tested; is the correction coefficient, and its value is 1.795×10 6 .

[0007] Furthermore, the quantum state initialization includes the following steps: irradiating the diamond nitrogen vacancy color center with laser.

[0008] The wavelength of the laser is 532nm-637nm, and the laser irradiation time is 700ns-300μs.

[0009] Furthermore, the gamma-ray radiation is converted into an optical signal by a scintillator detector.

[0010] Among them, the scintillator detector is composed of several scintillation crystal units, which include one of bismuth germanate, gadolinium silicate, cesium iodide, barium fluoride, cerium bromide, cerium-doped lutetium yttrium silicate, cerium-doped lanthanum bromide and cerium-doped gadolinium aluminum gallium garnet.

[0011] Furthermore, the optical signal is converted and amplified by a photomultiplier tube and drives a micro coil to obtain an electromagnetic signal.

[0012] Furthermore, the response light signal is converted into a response electrical signal through a photodiode.

[0013] Furthermore, before the radioactive element content is detected, the sample to be tested is pretreated, and the pretreatment includes the following steps: cleaning, drying, crushing, and ashing the sample to be tested; the ashing temperature is 320°C-400°C.

[0014] A second aspect of the present invention provides a detection system for the above-mentioned method for detecting the content of radioactive elements, comprising: The sample processing module is used to obtain the sample to be tested and obtain the quality parameters of the sample to be tested; A signal processing module, which is used for converting the gamma-ray radiation of the sample to be tested; Quantum sensing module, which includes a diamond nitrogen vacancy color center and a laser excitation system, is used to control the diamond nitrogen vacancy color center and detect electromagnetic signals; Data interaction module, the data interaction module is used to capture and transform the response light signal, calculate and output the radioactive element content information.

[0015] The third aspect of the present invention provides an electronic device, including a memory and a processor, the memory and the processor are communicatively connected, the memory stores computer-executable instructions, and the processor executes the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory to implement the above-mentioned method for detecting the content of radioactive elements.

[0016] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which computer-executable instructions are stored. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, they are used to implement the above-mentioned method for detecting the content of radioactive elements.

[0017] A fifth aspect of the present invention provides the application of the above-mentioned method for detecting the content of radioactive elements in export quarantine, nuclear accident emergency response and seafood safety monitoring.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the present invention utilizes the high sensitivity of quantum sensing, thereby breaking through the detection limit of traditional methods and realizing the detection of trace radioactive element content; by converting and amplifying gamma-ray radiation into an electrical signal that can be received by diamond nitrogen vacancy color centers, the difficulty of coupling quantum sensing with radioactive element signals is solved; and a highly sensitive new detection method is provided for the fields of environmental safety, food safety and nuclear emergency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and easily understood from the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a detection system in one embodiment.

[0020] In the accompanying drawings: 100 - detection system; 101 - sample processing module; 102 - signal processing module; 103 - quantum sensing module; 104 - data interaction module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Below in conjunction with specific embodiment, further set forth the present invention.Should be understood that these embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not used in limiting the scope of the present invention.In addition, should be understood that after reading the content of the present invention record, those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to the present invention, and these equivalent forms fall equally within the scope limited by the application's appended claims.

[0022] This embodiment provides a method for detecting the content of radioactive elements, comprising the following steps: Initialize the quantum state of diamond nitrogen vacancy color centers; Convert the gamma-ray radiation of the sample to be tested into an optical signal; Convert and amplify the optical signal to obtain an electromagnetic signal; receiving electromagnetic signals through diamond nitrogen vacancy color centers and outputting response optical signals; converting the response optical signal into a response electrical signal; Calculate the radioactive element content of the sample to be tested; The calculation is performed using the following formula: Where: is the activity concentration of the radioactive element in the sample to be tested; The number of electrical signals that respond to the optical signal within the acquisition time. is the background noise count within the acquisition time of the response light signal; is the decay constant of the target radioactive element; is the acquisition time of the response light signal; is the amplification factor of the optical signal; is the mass of the sample to be tested; is the correction coefficient, and its value is 1.795×10 6 .

[0023] Among them, the correction coefficient is obtained through multiple experiments.

[0024] The principle of diamond nitrogen vacancy color center outputting response light signals: When the diamond nitrogen vacancy color center receives an electromagnetic signal, its electron spin state undergoes a transition, resulting in a change in fluorescence intensity.

[0025] Furthermore, the quantum state initialization includes the following steps: irradiating the diamond nitrogen vacancy color center with laser.

[0026] Specifically, this example uses a 532nm continuous-wave laser (Nd:YAG laser, which has high gain, low threshold, high quantum efficiency, and minimal thermal effects) to illuminate the diamond nitrogen vacancy color center for 100μs. The laser is coupled to the diamond nitrogen vacancy color center surface via a single-mode fiber, with a power density controlled at 50mW / mm².

[0027] A diamond nitrogen vacancy color center consists of a nitrogen atom replacing a carbon atom in the diamond lattice, with an adjacent vacancy. In this embodiment, a 532nm laser excites the diamond nitrogen vacancy color center electrons from the ground state to an excited state, which then returns to the ground state via a non-radiative transition, achieving electron spin polarization and initializing the diamond nitrogen vacancy color center to a quantum state. This enables deterministic initialization of the diamond nitrogen vacancy color center quantum state, providing a stable foundation for subsequent quantum sensing and signal reading.

[0028] In some other embodiments, the wavelength of the laser may be 532 nm-637 nm (eg, 550 nm, 570 nm, 600 nm, 637 nm), and the laser irradiation time may be 700 ns-300 μs (eg, 700 ns, 800 ns, 1 μs, 150 μs, 300 μs).

[0029] Furthermore, the gamma-ray radiation is converted into light signals by a scintillator detector, which is composed of several scintillation crystal units.

[0030] Scintillator detectors have high sensitivity and fast response capabilities, and can effectively distinguish gamma rays of different energies and improve detection resolution. Specifically, in this embodiment, the scintillation crystal unit uses bismuth germanium oxide (BGO), each crystal unit has a size of 5×5×10 mm³, and the array scale is 10×10. After the gamma ray is incident, the Bi in the bismuth germanium oxide crystal 4 ⁺ After the ions absorb the energy of gamma rays, the electrons jump to the excited state, and fluorescence photons (light signals) are generated during the deexcitation process.

[0031] In some other embodiments, the scintillation crystal unit may be one of gadolinium silicate, cesium iodide, barium fluoride, cerium bromide, cerium-doped lutetium yttrium silicate, cerium-doped lanthanum bromide, and cerium-doped gadolinium aluminum gallium garnet.

[0032] Furthermore, the optical signal is converted and amplified by a photomultiplier tube and drives a micro coil to obtain an electromagnetic signal.

[0033] Specifically, in this embodiment, a photomultiplier tube (PMT) collects fluorescent photons (light signals) generated by bismuth germanium oxide crystals, converts the light signals into electron streams through the photocathode of the PMT, and then accelerates the electrons step by step through the multiplication system of the PMT. After amplification, the weak light signals are converted into electrical signals (the gain of the light signal passing through the PMT is linearly related to the light signal intensity), and further drives a microcoil to generate a magnetic field proportional to the current intensity.

[0034] Furthermore, the response light signal is converted into a response electrical signal through a photodiode.

[0035] In this embodiment, the photodiode converts the response light signal (fluorescence from the NV color center) into an electrical signal (response electrical signal) through the photovoltaic effect, thereby reading the fluorescence signal fed back by the diamond nitrogen vacancy color center. Combined with subsequent processing, high-precision quantum state measurement is achieved.

[0036] Furthermore, before the radioactive element content is detected, the sample to be tested is pretreated, and the pretreatment includes the following steps: cleaning, drying, crushing, and ashing the sample to be tested; the ashing temperature is 320°C-400°C.

[0037] Cleaning can remove soluble impurities adsorbed on the surface of the sample to be tested, drying can eliminate the influence of moisture, crushing can increase the uniformity of the sample to be tested, and ashing can remove organic matter in the sample to be tested and enrich radioactive elements. After pretreatment of the sample to be tested, the overall detection accuracy and reliability are improved.

[0038] In this example, freshly caught Pacific bluefin tuna was headed and visceral removed. After rinsing three times with deionized water, the tuna was dried in a 60°C forced air drying oven to constant weight. The powder was then pulverized using a grinder and passed through a 100-mesh sieve. 50 g of the resulting powder was weighed and heated in a muffle furnace at 5°C / min to 350°C and maintained at this temperature for 6 hours to ash. (In some other embodiments, the ashing temperature can range from 320°C to 400°C, for example, 320°C, 340°C, 360°C, or 400°C.) After cooling, the test sample was obtained.

[0039] The acquisition time of the response light signal in this embodiment is 3600s; the number of electrical signals responding to the light signal within the acquisition time 133; background noise counts during the acquisition time of the response light signal is 4; the target radioactive element is Cs-137, and its decay constant 2.303×10 -10 s -1 ; The amplification factor G of the optical signal is 1000; The mass of the sample to be tested 50g (mass before ashing); correction factor 1.795×10 6 The activity concentration of Cs-137 in the sample was calculated to be 0.08668 Bq / kg. However, the Cs-137 assay method in GB 14883.10-2016 could not be used to assay the same batch of samples. This indicates that the radioactive element content assay method of the present invention is more capable of detecting trace amounts of radioactive elements than conventional methods.

[0040] In the second embodiment, the acquisition time of the response light signal 3600s; the number of electrical signals responding to the light signal within the acquisition time The background noise counts during the acquisition time of the response light signal are 19317; is 5; the target radioactive element is Cs-137, and its decay constant 2.303×10 -10 s -1 ; The amplification factor G of the optical signal is 1000; The mass of the sample to be tested 50g (mass before ashing); correction factor 1.795×10 6 The activity concentration of Cs-137 in the sample to be tested was calculated to be 11.5388 Bq / kg using the formula. The same batch of samples, tested according to the Cs-137 determination method in GB 14883.10-2016, showed an activity concentration of 11.1580 Bq / kg. This indicates that the results obtained by the radioactive element content detection method of the present invention are similar to those in GB 14883.10-2016, demonstrating a certain degree of reliability.

[0041] In the third embodiment, the acquisition time of the response light signal 3600s; the number of electrical signals responding to the light signal within the acquisition time The background noise counts during the acquisition time of the response light signal are 19317; is 4; the target radioactive element is Pu-239, and its decay constant 9.116×10 -13 s -1 ; The amplification factor G of the optical signal is 1000; The mass of the sample to be tested 50g (mass before ashing); correction factor 1.795×10 6 The activity concentration of Pu-239 in the sample to be tested is calculated to be 0.02716 Bq / kg.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment further provides a detection system 100 for the above-mentioned method for detecting radioactive element content, comprising: The sample processing module 101 is used to obtain the sample to be tested and obtain the quality parameters of the sample to be tested; The signal processing module 102 is used for converting the gamma-ray radiation of the sample to be tested; Quantum sensing module 103, which includes a diamond nitrogen vacancy color center and a laser excitation system for regulating the diamond nitrogen vacancy color center and detecting electromagnetic signals; The data interaction module 104 is used to capture and transform the response light signal, calculate and output the radioactive element content information.

[0043] The above explanations of the embodiment of the method for detecting the content of radioactive elements of the present invention are also applicable to the detection system of this embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0044] This embodiment also provides an electronic device, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is communicatively connected to the processor, the memory stores computer-executable instructions, and the processor executes the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory to implement the above-mentioned method for detecting the content of radioactive elements.

[0045] In this embodiment, the memory can be an internal storage unit of the electronic device, such as the electronic device's hard drive or memory; it can also be an external storage device of the electronic device, such as a plug-in hard drive, a Smart Media Card (SMC), a Secure Digital (SD) card, a flash memory card, etc.; the memory can also include both the internal storage unit and the external storage device of the electronic device. In this embodiment, the memory is typically used to store the operating system and various application software installed in the electronic device, such as the program code for the method of detecting the content of radioactive elements. In addition, the memory can also be used to temporarily store various types of data that have been output or will be output. The memory includes at least one type of readable storage medium.

[0046] In this embodiment, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU), a controller, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, or other data processing chip. The processor is typically used to control the overall operation of the electronic device. In this embodiment, the processor is used to execute program code stored in the memory or process data.

[0047] This embodiment also provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which computer-executable instructions are stored. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, they are used to implement the above-mentioned method for detecting the content of radioactive elements.

[0048] The computer-readable storage medium of this embodiment may be, for example, a USB flash drive, but is not limited to electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems or devices, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. In this embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system or device. The program code contained on the computer-readable storage medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wires, optical cables, RF (Radio Frequency), etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0049] This embodiment also provides applications of the above-mentioned method for detecting radioactive element content in export quarantine, nuclear accident emergency response, and seafood safety monitoring.

[0050] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that ordinary technicians in this technical field can make several improvements and supplements without departing from the method of the present invention. These improvements and supplements should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for detecting the content of radioactive elements, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Initialize the quantum state of diamond nitrogen vacancy color centers; Convert the gamma-ray radiation of the sample to be tested into an optical signal; converting and amplifying the optical signal to obtain an electromagnetic signal; receiving the electromagnetic signal through the diamond nitrogen vacancy color center and outputting a response optical signal; converting the response optical signal into a response electrical signal; Calculating the radioactive element content of the sample to be tested; The calculation is performed using the following formula: Where: is the activity concentration of the radioactive element in the sample to be tested; is the count of the response electrical signal within the acquisition time of the response optical signal; is the background noise count within the acquisition time of the response light signal; is the decay constant of the target radioactive element; is the acquisition time of the response light signal; is the amplification factor of the optical signal; is the mass of the sample to be tested; is the correction coefficient, and its value is 1.795×10 6 .

2. The method for detecting the content of radioactive elements according to claim 1, characterized in that: The quantum state initialization includes the following steps: irradiating the diamond nitrogen vacancy color center with laser.

3. The method for detecting the content of radioactive elements according to claim 2, characterized in that: The wavelength of the laser is 532nm-637nm, and the time of the laser irradiation is 700ns-300μs.

4. The method for detecting the content of radioactive elements according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gamma ray radiation is converted into the optical signal by a scintillator detector.

5. The method for detecting the content of radioactive elements according to claim 4, characterized in that: The scintillator detector is composed of a plurality of scintillation crystal units, which include one of bismuth germanate, gadolinium silicate, cesium iodide, barium fluoride, cerium bromide, cerium-doped lutetium yttrium silicate, cerium-doped lanthanum bromide and cerium-doped gadolinium aluminum gallium garnet.

6. The method for detecting the content of radioactive elements according to claim 1, characterized in that: The optical signal is converted and amplified by a photomultiplier tube and a micro coil is driven to obtain the electromagnetic signal.

7. The method for detecting the content of radioactive elements according to claim 1, characterized in that: The response optical signal is converted into the response electrical signal through a photodiode.

8. The method for detecting the content of radioactive elements according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before the radioactive element content detection is performed, the sample to be tested is pretreated, and the pretreatment includes the following steps: cleaning, drying, crushing, and ashing the sample to be tested; the ashing temperature is 320°C-400°C.

9. A detection system for the method for detecting the content of radioactive elements according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: include: A sample processing module, the sample processing module is used to obtain the sample to be tested and obtain the quality parameters of the sample to be tested; A signal processing module, the signal processing module is used for converting the gamma-ray radiation of the sample to be tested; A quantum sensing module, comprising a diamond nitrogen vacancy color center and a laser excitation system, for regulating the diamond nitrogen vacancy color center and detecting the electromagnetic signal; A data interaction module is used to capture and transform the response light signal, calculate and output radioactive element content information.

10. Use of the method for detecting the content of radioactive elements according to any one of claims 1 to 8 in export quarantine, nuclear accident emergency response and seafood safety monitoring.

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