Neural network inverse design of nanophotonic scintillators

Scintillation, the emission of light by materials impinged by high-energy particles, is vital for scientific and technological applications - used in most security scanners and medical imaging systems. The incident particles excite energetic electrons that undergo a cascade of interactions forming electron-hole pairs, which recombine to emit light. Due to the complex physics of scintillators, their improvement requires optimizing multiple material properties that are often contradictory: high stopping power, efficient light emission, and optical transparency.