What is the Band gap of LiF and for TLD-100?

The band gap of a material is the energy difference between the valence band and the conduction band. It is a fundamental property of a semiconductor material and determines its electrical and optical properties.

Band gap of LiF

Lithium fluoride (LiF) is an ionic crystal that has a wide band gap of about 14 eV. This means that it is a very good insulator and does not conduct electricity easily. The large band gap of LiF is due to the strong ionic bonding between the lithium and fluorine atoms.

Band gap of TLD-100

TLD-100 is a commercial thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) material that is composed of lithium fluoride doped with magnesium, titanium, and copper. The band gap of TLD-100 is about 5.5 eV, which is significantly smaller than the band gap of pure LiF. This reduction in band gap is due to the introduction of defects and impurities into the crystal lattice.

The smaller band gap of TLD-100 makes it more sensitive to radiation than pure LiF. This is because the electrons in the valence band of TLD-100 are more easily excited into the conduction band by the absorption of radiation. This increased sensitivity makes TLD-100 a useful material for detecting and measuring radiation doses.