1.

INTRODUCTION

Nuclear radiation is a kind of energy radiation released by radioactive substances in the form of waves or
particles. According to the different wavelength and radiation intensity, we can divide them into α rays, β rays
and ɣ rays. Nuclear radiation particles are widely used in medical and health, industrial production, military,
energy; this wide-ranging application is due to their huge energy and powerful penetration ability. However,
nuclear radiation also brings potential high risks and threats to human health along with damage to the
electronic devices and systems that are currently widely in use.
Some severe cases of unprecedented use of the nuclear radiation energy are still causing potential harm to the
human health generations over generation. One such case is of Nuclear Bombardment on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki; another one is of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor explosion.
At present there are mainly three methods to measure the nuclear radiation cumulant:
1. Thermoluminescence:
The measurement method of nuclear radiation cumulant on this method is to use the electromagnetic radiation
or other ionizing radiation absorbed and stored in the lattice defect to be released in the form of photons when
the thermoluminescence material is heated. Thus, the released photon energy is used to measure the nuclear
radiation cumulant. This method has high accuracy and large measurement range. The limitation being that it
can only measure substances with fixed radiation sources which are disposable and destructive.
2. Photochemical Effect:
This method indirectly characterizes the nuclear radiation cumulant by measuring and analysing the image
left on the film after nuclear radiation is irradiated. It has low measurement cost. However, the measurement
speed and sensitivity are low and also the material cannot be reused along with poor accuracy.
3. Integral Circuit Method:
This method uses the energy converter to convert the nuclear radiation signal into a photochemical signal, and
then calculate it through integral circuit. It can carry out continuous and repeated measurements, though it has
high phase delay and low sensitivity.
Spintronic memristor is a kind of magnetic memory storage device. Spintronic memristors utilise the spin of
electrons to control their resistance. The device typically consists of a magnetic layer sandwiched between
two insulating layers. When a voltage is applied, the magnetic layer's magnetization state can be switched,
which in turn affects the device's resistance. This change in resistance is then stored as a bit of information.
The behaviour of a spintronic memristor at a certain time is like an ordinary resistance, but its resistance value
depends on the current passing through the spintronic memristor in a certain period.
Numerically, the charge is the time integral of the current flowing through the spintronic memristor. Therefore,
we can use spintronic memristor to measure the change of current or charge in the circuit, and finally establish
the internal mapping relationship between the nuclear radiation cumulant and the resistance value of spintronic
memristor. In the absence of nuclear radiation signal, the resistance of the spintronic memristor will remain
unchanged, showing a good memory and non-volatile characteristics.
We use the spintronic memristor array to characterize the nuclear radiation cumulant, and design a nuclear
radiation cumulant sensor based on the spintronic memristor array. We use the high switch resistance ratio
and the array structure of the spintronic memristor to provide a large range and long measurement time
effective way for the measurement of nuclear radiation cumulant.

5
COEP TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
 2. LITERATURE REVIEW
[1] Changbao Wen, Li Xu, Jun Zha, Chenglong Zhou; “A novel nuclear radiation cumulant sensor based on
Spintronic Memristor”, 31st August, 2022

Introduction to Nuclear Radiation Measurement:

Nuclear radiation, emitted by radioactive substances, is categorized into α, β, and γ rays based on wavelength
and intensity. These particles are extensively used in various fields such as medical, industrial, and military
due to their high energy and penetrative capabilities. However, exposure to high levels of nuclear radiation
poses significant health risks, including nausea, fever, leukopenia, cancer, and even death. Additionally,
nuclear radiation can adversely affect electronic devices and systems.
Existing Measurement Methods-
1. Thermoluminescence Effect: This method measures the energy released as photons when a
thermoluminescent material, previously exposed to radiation, is heated5. It offers high accuracy and a large
measurement range but is limited to fixed radiation sources and is destructive.
2. Photochemical Effect: This method involves analysing the image left on a film after radiation exposure. It
is cost-effective but has low sensitivity and speed, and the measurement materials cannot be reused.
3. Integral Circuit Method: This method converts nuclear radiation signals into photoelectric signals, which
are then calculated using an integral circuit. It allows continuous and repeated measurements but suffers from
high phase delay and low sensitivity.
Spintronic Memristor Technology:
Spintronic memristors, based on the spintronic effect of Nano-electrons, offer advantages such as non-
volatility, low power consumption, and better linearity compared to traditional memristors. They are widely
used in data storage, image processing, and artificial neural networks. The resistance of a spintronic memristor
depends on the current passing through it over time, making it suitable for measuring changes in current or
charge in a circuit.
Proposed Sensor Design:
The proposed sensor combines a nuclear radiation converter, a spintronic memristor array, a current limiting
resistor, and an amplifier. The nuclear radiation converter generates photocurrent in the presence of radiation,
causing changes in the resistance of the spintronic memristor array. This change in resistance is used to
measure the nuclear radiation cumulant. The sensor design aims to address the limitations of existing methods
by providing a large measurement range, high sensitivity, and the ability to perform continuous and repeated
measurements.

Advantages of the Proposed Sensor

1. High Sensitivity and Accuracy: The sensor offers high sensitivity and accuracy, making it suitable for
precise measurements.
2. Large Measurement Range: The use of a spintronic memristor array allows for a large measurement
range.
3. Continuous and Repeated Measurements: The sensor can perform continuous and repeated
measurements, unlike some existing methods.
4. Noise Reduction: The threshold feature of the spintronic memristor helps eliminate the influence of dark
current, reducing noise in the measurements.

6
COEP TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
 3. METHODOLOGY

1. STRUCTURE AND WORKING PRINCIPLE: -

The nuclear radiation cumulant sensor based on spintronic memristor array consists of power supply unit U,
single-pole double-throw switch S1 and S2, current limiting resistor R, amplifier K, nuclear radiation
conversion device H and spintronic memristor array M, and L is a sealed lead box for radiation resistance. A
schematic diagram of nuclear radiation cumulant sensor based on spintronic memristor array is provided.
When the nuclear radiation cumulant measurement system based on the spintronic memristor is exposed to
the nuclear radiation environment, the scintillator will response on the nuclear radiation change of nuclear
radiation, which will further cause the resistance value of the nuclear radiation conversion device to change,
thus causing the loop current to change. The change of the loop current will cause the change of the current
flowing through the spintronic memristor. The charge is the time integral of the current flowing through the
spintronic memristor.
𝑄 = ∫ 𝑖(𝑡)𝑑𝑡 (1)
The flux is the time integral of the voltage across the spintronic memristor.
𝜙 = ∫ 𝑢(𝑡)𝑑𝑡 (2)
According to the definition of memristor, we have
𝑑𝜙
𝑀= (3)
𝑑𝑄
Substituting Equations. (1) And (2) into Eq. (3), we have
𝑢(𝑡)
𝑀= (4)
𝑖(𝑡)
In Eq. (4), if the voltage remains unchanged, u (t) is constant. Therefore, there is a one-to-one relationship
between the nuclear radiation cumulant and the resistance of the spintronic memristor for a period of time.
We can indirectly characterize and measure the nuclear radiation cumulant through the change of the
resistance of the spintronic memristor.

Fig 1. Schematic diagram of Nuclear Radiation Cumulant Sensor

The spintronic memristor array M is formed by the crossing of lines of m and n columns. And it contains
multiple identical memristors. Spintronic memristor based on domain wall propulsion technology are widely
used in memristor arrays. It consists of spintronic valve plates with upper and lower ferromagnetic layers.
The spintronic memristor is composed of a Nano scale spintronic ferromagnetic strip consisting of two layers
of magnetic material. The upper layer is a free layer, which is divided into two parts with different magnetic
polarities by domain walls that can be changed, and the lower layer is a reference layer, which is fixed in the
lower layer by coupling correlation technology and does not change. The resistance value is determined by
the polarization direction of the free layer and the reference layer, that is, by the direction of the magnetic
7
COEP TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
poles in the free layer and the size of the forward and reverse regions in the reference layer. The resistance is
lowest when the spintronic memristor is completely in the forward region and highest when it is completely
in the reverse region.

Fig 2. Structure of Spintronic Memristor

When the current flows through the intersections of the memristor array, the thickness in the forward region
increases and the area in the reverse region decreases. During the measurement of sensor, the total resistance
of the memristor array will remain unchanged, which will not affect the current flowing in the sensor.
Therefore, the resistance in the array intersection is only related to the number of the resistance in the forward
region and reverse region and the number of serial memristors, and has nothing to do with the measuring time
of the memristor and the current flowing through the memristor.
The nuclear radiation conversion device H is packaged with CsI scintillator and PIN (Positive-Intrinsic-
Negative)-type photodiode. CsI scintillator not only has good sensitivity and detection performance for the
most penetrating and harmful γ rays in nuclear radiation, but also has good detection ability for ionizing
radiation including α rays and β rays. Considering the influence of nuclear radiation environment on the
electronic system, we put the electronic devices in the circuit system except the scintillator in the sealed lead
box, as shown in the dotted box in Fig. 1. In addition, the radiation resistance research results of some
memristors and electronic systems also provide a good prospect for the application of spintronic memristors
in the field of nuclear radiation.
The power supply unit U is composed of two reverse voltages. The closed switch S 1 enters the measurement
state, and the nuclear radiation H works under the reverse voltage, which mainly converts nuclear radiation
into photocurrent and causes the current change in the loop. The resistance of the spintronic memristor array
enters the recovery state by turning off switch S2.
When there is nuclear radiation in the environment, the sensor system is in working state after the switch S1
is closed, and the nuclear radiation conversion device H works under the reverse bias voltage. The internal
scintillator converts nuclear radiation into visible light, making the PIN-type photodiode produce the
photoelectric effect and the photocurrent I0, which is expressed as
𝜂𝑒
𝐼(0) = 𝑝(ℎ𝜐) (5)
where η is the photoelectric conversion efficiency of PIN-type photodiode, h is Planck constant, ν is the
incidence frequency of visible light after transformation, and p is the visible light power after transformation.

2. EXPERIMENT AND RESULT ANALYSIS: -

In order to verify the scheme of the nuclear radiation cumulant sensor based on spintronic memristor array,
the response experiments of the nuclear radiation cumulant sensor under different conditions were carried out.
The nuclear radiation conversion device H is composed of a 10×10×10 mm3 cuboid CsI scintillator and a PIN-
type photodiode S3590–01 under S3590 series with a photosensitive surface of 10×10 mm2. During the
measurement, the power supply group U used by the power module is 2 V, and the experiment was carried
out at 300 K. The length D of the used spintronic memristor is 1000 nm, width x and height z are 7 nm and

8
COEP TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
10 nm. The number of cross points in the spintronic memristor array is extensible, so the number of m and n
are determined to be 5 and 2 in subsequent experiments, which can be calculated by m × n.
In order to test the designed nuclear radiation cumulant sensor, the corresponding characteristics of the sensor
under different illumination were tested under the same experimental conditions. At the same time,
experiments are carried out by changing the number of array cross points, amplifier gain and current limiting
resistance to analyse the influence of changing different parameters. In order to ensure the accuracy of the
results, the resistance value of spintronic memristor array was reset by turning off S2 before each experiment.

2.1. Response without nuclear radiation:

The sensor was placed in an environment without nuclear radiation, and the circuit closing switch S 1 for
experiment as shown in Fig. 1. The change of resistance RM2 of the forward series memristor within the cross
points was presented as the result, as shown in Fig. 3.
As can be seen from Fig. 3, the current Imn in the cross points of the spintronic memristor array entered is

Fig 3. Resistance Variation of spintronic memristor without nuclear radiation

1 nA, while the resistance value RM2 of the forward series memristor is always 4 kΩ without any change.
When there is no nuclear radiation in the actual measurement environment, the dark current generated by the
PIN-type photodiode inside the nuclear radiation conversion device will cause great noise impact on the sensor
circuit. The experimental results show that the resistance value of the spintronic memristor is not affected by
the dark current in the sensor circuit when the nuclear radiation cumulant sensor is in the period of no nuclear
radiation, which also proves that the spintronic memristor array has the threshold characteristic and can
eliminate and reduce the noise in the circuit. This experimental result proves that the threshold feature of the
spintronic memristor can still be established under the nuclear radiation cumulant sensor circuit scheme based
on the spintronic memristor array, and the sensor can minimize the influence of dark current.
However, according to the threshold feature of the spintronic memristor, there is a minimum threshold
operating current of the spintronic memristor array, that is, the threshold current of the spintronic memristor.
The threshold current corresponding to the design of the radiation cumulant sensor minimum radiation
intensity is, 0.075 mGy/ h, so long as the radiation intensity is greater than this value, the resistance value of
the spintronic memristor within the cross points will have an integral change.

2.2. Influence of nuclear radiation intensity:

The nuclear radiation cumulant sensor designed based on the spintronic memristor array can directly obtain
the nuclear radiation cumulant by measuring the change of the resistance value of the spintronic memristor
under different nuclear radiation intensity. The different intensity of nuclear radiation will make the different
photocurrent generated by nuclear radiation after passing through the nuclear radiation conversion device,
which will further affect the current entering the cross points of the spintronic memristor array, thus affecting
the change speed of the resistance value of the spintronic memristor. Therefore, the change of nuclear radiation

9
COEP TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
intensity is of great significance to the sensor. In the actual measurement process, the type of nuclear radiation
is complex, so the change of nuclear radiation intensity is more complex.

2.2.1. Measurement at constant nuclear radiation intensity-

For the constant nuclear radiation environment, the nuclear radiation conversion device was placed in the
environment with nuclear radiation intensity of 1 mGy, 1.5 mGy/h, 2 mGy/h and 2.5 mGy/h for measurement.
Fig. 4 shows the photocurrent generated under the four constant nuclear radiation intensity.

Fig 4. Photocurrent under different nuclear radiation intensities

With the increase of nuclear radiation intensity, the photocurrent generated by the nuclear radiation conversion
device increases, because the higher the nuclear radiation intensity, the greater the kinetic energy of the nuclear
radiation particles hitting the scintillator, the greater the visible light power generated, and the greater the
photocurrent transformed by the visible light through the PIN-type photodiode. After the photocurrent
generated at 1 mGy/h, 1.5 mGy/h, 2 mGy/h and 2.5 mGy/h nuclear radiation intensity enters the spintronic
memristor array, the change curve of resistance RM2 of the spintronic memristor is them analysed through the
help of a graph.

Fig 5. Changes of resistance at different nuclear radiation intensities

Under different nuclear radiation intensity, the higher the nuclear radiation intensity, the faster the resistance
value RM2 of the spintronic memristor changes with time, that is, the larger the slope of the curve is, the smaller
the time for the sensor to reach the maximum measurement range. The sensitivity however is not affected by
nuclear radiation intensity and remains unchanged. During this period, the sensitivity of the radiation cumulant
sensor remained at 1251.47 Ω/mGy.

2.2.2. Gradually increasing the measurement of nuclear radiation intensity-

In order to better verify the sensor performance, the nuclear radiation intensity increases gradually from 0 to
2.5 mGy /h at the growth rate of 0.5 mGy/h.

10
COEP TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
The integral value of nuclear radiation intensity and the time to reach the maximum measurement range is a
fixed value. Therefore, in the case of gradually increasing nuclear radiation intensity, although the time for
the sensor to reach the maximum measurement range decreases, the measurement range and sensitivity of the
sensor remain unchanged. The gradual increase of nuclear radiation intensity will only affect the time for the
sensor to reach the maximum range, and will not affect the measurement range and sensitivity of nuclear
radiation cumulant.

Fig 6. Changes in Resistance and I0 as nuclear radiation intensity gradually increases

2.2.3. Measurement under random variation of nuclear radiation intensity-

In actual production and life scenes, there are unstable particle beams of various radionuclides, stable particle
beams of protons and α particles, charged and uncharged particle beams, heavy particle beams, photons and
neutrinos with almost 0 rest mass and other various types of nuclear radiation, which are in irregular changes.
Random variation of nuclear radiation intensity is the most realistic simulation scenario of nuclear radiation.
When the nuclear radiation conversion device H receives the random change of the nuclear radiation intensity
within the range of 0–2.5 mGy/h. When exposed to random variation of nuclear radiation intensity, the
resistance value RM2 of the spintronic memristor changes with time, as shown in Fig. 7. The result shows that
different nuclear radiation intensity can affect the speed of the change of the resistance value of the spintronic
memristor in the sensor. This is because the random nuclear radiation intensity causes the photocurrent to
change with the random nuclear radiation intensity, thus causing the current flowing into the spintronic
memristor array to change. It can be found that the random change of nuclear radiation intensity does not
affect the measurement range of the sensor. The larger the slope of the curve is, the faster the resistance value
of the spintronic memristor changes, and the larger the photocurrent and nuclear radiation intensity generated
by the nuclear radiation conversion device.

Fig 7. Change in Resistance with random variation of nuclear radiation intensities

11
COEP TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
2.3. Impact of the number of array cross points:
Radiation cumulant sensor with spintronic memristor array uses the resistance value of the forward connected
spintronic memristor within the cross points of the spintronic memristor array to represent the change of
nuclear radiation cumulant. When the current enters the array, there will be a shunt effect on the current due
to the existence of multiple cross points, the number of cross points within the memristor will affect the current
flowing into the spintronic memristor, and further affect the performance of the sensor.

Fig 8. Response curves of different no. of current points

When the cross points of the spintronic memristor array are 10, 15, 20 and 25 respectively, the calculation of
the cross points is the product of m rows and n columns. With the increase of cross points, the slope of the
curve of relationship between nuclear radiation cumulant and resistance of memristor decreases gradually.
With this the measuring range of nuclear radiation cumulant increases and the sensitivity decreases, gradually.
Therefore, by adjusting the number of intersections appropriately, the measuring range of the nuclear radiation
cumulant sensor can be enlarged and the appropriate sensitivity can be obtained. When m and n increase to a
certain extent, the current passing through the cross points will be less than the threshold current of the
memristor, and the resistance value of the spintronic memristor inside the cross points will not change.
The measurement range of the sensor can be increased by increasing the size of the memristor array. However,
with the increase of the size of the cross array, the error caused by the sneak path issue will increase
continuously. The sneak path issue occurs in crossbar memory arrays, such as those used in memristors, where
unintended current paths can form. This happens when an applied voltage causes current to flow through
devices that are not intended to be read or written at that moment. This can lead to errors in the reading or
writing process, known as cross-talk interference.
In simpler terms, imagine a grid of memory cells. When you try to access one specific cell, the current might
sneak through unintended paths, affecting other cells and causing incorrect data to be read or written. This
issue is particularly problematic in high-density memory arrays where many cells are closely packed together.
The shunt series of the sneak path current reduces the accuracy of the algorithm and the reliability of the
system.
To mitigate the sneak path issue, various solutions have been proposed, such as:
 1D1M (One Diode One Memristor): Using a diode to block unintended current paths.
 1T1M (One Transistor One Memristor): Using a transistor to control the current flow.
 1S1M (One Selector One Memristor): Using a selector device to ensure current flows only through the
intended path.
These solutions help improve the reliability and stability of memory arrays by reducing power consumption
and minimizing errors. The method to reduce the influence of the sneak path issue can be to add transistors or
diodes on the circuit nodes where the memristors cross, and block the sneak path with its unidirectional

12
COEP TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
conductivity. However, this method will increase the manufacturing difficulty in the process and reduce the
circuit integral. Therefore, we consider the method of compensating the current at the output end of the array.
The amplification factor is the ratio of the pre-set output current value and the actual output current value in
the branch paths in the cross array. The distribution law is that, closer the each sneak path in the cross array is
to the input end of cross array, the smaller the amplification factor. The sensor signal amplifier is used to
compensate the current at its corresponding array output according to the amplification factor.
The only need is to adjust the amplification factor of the sensor signal amplifier to compensate the current at
the output of the corresponding cross array. This method not only adjusts the error loss caused by the sneak

Fig 9. Flow Chart of current compensation release Sneak Path Issue

path, but also eliminates the need to add new devices to the memristor cross array. Therefore, it is not necessary
to change the manufacturing process of the spintronic memristor cross array.

2.4. Influence of amplifier gain:

In order to test the effect of the amplifier gain on the performance of the nuclear radiation cumulant sensor,
the number of cross points in the spintronic memristor array was kept at 10, and the nuclear radiation intensity
was kept at 1 mGy/h. According to Fig. 10, when the amplifier gain K is 0.5 M, 0.8 M, 1 M and 1.5 M, the
effective measurement range of the nuclear radiation cumulant sensor is 0–6.39 mGy, 0–4.0 mGy, 0–3.2 mGy
and 0–2.13 mGy. The sensitivity is 625.98 Ω/mGy, 1002 Ω/ mGy, 1251.47 Ω/mGy and 1877.2 Ω/mGy.
As the amplifier gain increases, the sensitivity of the sensor increases, but the measurement range decreases.
This is because the larger the amplifier gain K, the larger the photocurrent after amplification into the
intersection of the current, the faster the spintronic memristor resistance changes, the faster the speed of the
maximum measurement range.
Therefore, the sensitivity of the sensor can be improved by increasing the amplifier gain, but this is based on
reducing the measurement range.

13
COEP TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
 Fig 10. Response Characteristic curves of different amplifier gains

2.5. Influence of current limiting resistance:

The current limiting resistor plays a role in protecting the sensor circuit. A current limiting resistor is a passive
electronic component used to regulate the flow of electric current through a circuit. It achieves this by
providing resistance, which impedes the flow of electrons, thereby keeping the current within safe operational
limits. In addition, the photocurrent is converted into voltage information by the amplifier, which acts on the
current limiting resistor and the spintronic memristor array at the same time. The size of the current limiting
resistor will affect the current entering the cross points.
In order to verify the effect of current limiting resistance on the performance of the nuclear radiation cumulant
sensor, the number of cross points within the spintronic memristor array is kept at 10, and the nuclear radiation
intensity is kept at 1 mGy/h when the amplifier gain K is set to 1 M. According to Fig. 11, when the resistance
value R of current limiting resistance are 5 kΩ, 8.8 kΩ, 10 kΩ and 5 kΩ, the effective measurement range of
nuclear radiation cumulant sensor are 0–1.98 mGy, 0–3.2 mGy, 0–3.7 mGy and 0–5.18 mGy. And the
sensitivities are 2020.2 Ω/mGy, 1251.47 Ω/mGy, 1081.08 Ω/mGy and 772.2 Ω/mGy.
With the increase of current limiting resistance, the sensitivity of the sensor will decrease, but the measuring
range will increase. The reason is that after the photocurrent is converted into voltage, it acts on the current
limiting resistor and the spintronic memristor array at the same time. The resistance of the array is constant.
The larger the current limiting resistor is, the smaller the loop current is, the smaller the current entering the
cross points is, and the slower the speed of reaching the maximum measurement range is. Therefore, the
measurement range of the sensor can be improved by increasing the resistance value of current limiting resistor
R, but the sensitivity will be reduced.

Fig 11. Response Characteristics curves of different current limiting resistances

According to the above experiments, the nuclear radiation cumulant measurement method based on spintronic
memristor has many advantages over other nuclear radiation cumulant measurement methods, which can meet
14
COEP TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
the requirements of large measurement range, high sensitivity, continuous multiple measurements and direct
nuclear radiation cumulant.
The specific comparison is shown:

Table 1: Analysis of Nuclear Radiation Cumulant measurement methods

Sr.
Methods Characteristics
No.
High measurement accuracy and large measurement range, but it can
Thermoluminescence
1 only measure substances with fixed radiation sources, which is
Effect
disposable and destructive.
The measurement cost is low, but the measurement speed and
2 Photochemical Effect
sensitivity are small, the measurement materials cannot be reused.
The method is continuous and multiple, but the phase delay is high
3 Time Integral Circuit
and the sensitivity is small.
Large Range, High sensitivity, continuous and repeated
4 Through Research Paper
measurements.

15
COEP TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
 DISCUSSION

This seminar report discusses the development and application of a nuclear radiation cumulant sensor based
on spintronic memristor technology, offering a novel approach to measure nuclear radiation cumulant. This
method is designed to overcome limitations in traditional nuclear radiation measurement techniques, such as
thermoluminescence and photochemical effects, by integrating advanced spintronic memristor arrays, which
allow for high sensitivity, accuracy, and repeatable measurement.

Overview of Nuclear Radiation Measurement:

Nuclear radiation, emitted by substances in the form of alpha (α), beta (β), and gamma (γ) rays, poses health
risks and affects electronics. Traditional methods of measuring radiation cumulant, such as
thermoluminescence and photochemical effect, are either destructive, have low sensitivity, or lack continuous
measurement capability. Spintronic memristors, which use the electron’s spin to control resistance, present a
more efficient solution due to their non-volatility, low power consumption, and ability to store data over time.
The new sensor aims to measure nuclear radiation cumulant through changes in the resistance of a spintronic
memristor array. When nuclear radiation interacts with a scintillator, the generated photocurrent changes the
memristor's resistance. By measuring this change, the cumulative radiation exposure can be calculated. The
sensor is designed to address the limitations of previous methods, such as low sensitivity or the inability to
perform continuous measurements.

Key Features of Spintronic Memristor-Based Sensors:

1. High Sensitivity- Spintronic memristors exhibit high sensitivity due to their ability to change resistance
based on current. This makes them suitable for detecting slight variations in nuclear radiation.
2. Non-Volatile Memory- Unlike traditional resistive elements, spintronic memristors maintain their
resistance states even without power, making them highly reliable for cumulative measurements.
3. Continuous Measurement Capability- The new design enables continuous and repeated measurements,
providing a significant advantage over single-use or disposable radiation measurement devices.
4. Noise Reduction- The sensor can eliminate the influence of dark current (i.e., the noise in the absence of
radiation) through the threshold characteristics of the memristor.

Sensor Design and Working Principle:

The sensor consists of several components: a power supply, current limiting resistor, amplifier, and a
spintronic memristor array. The nuclear radiation is converted into a photocurrent using a scintillator and
photodiode. This current then passes through the memristor array, causing changes in its resistance, which are
correlated with the cumulative radiation dose.
The resistance of the memristor is directly proportional to the cumulative charge flowing through it. By
integrating the charge over time, the system calculates the nuclear radiation cumulant. The array structure also
provides a broad measurement range and high durability, making the sensor suitable for long-term monitoring.

Experimental Results:
Experiments demonstrate that the sensor accurately measures the cumulative radiation in environments with
varying intensities of nuclear radiation. The sensitivity of the sensor remains constant, regardless of radiation
intensity, while its response time decreases with increasing radiation intensity. Adjustments to the number of
cross-points in the memristor array, amplifier gain, and current limiting resistance allow the sensor to be tuned
for specific applications, balancing sensitivity with measurement range.

16
COEP TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
 CONCLUSION

In this report, a designed scheme of nuclear radiation cumulant sensor based on spintronic memristor array is
presented, which realizes the measurement of nuclear radiation cumulant. The sensor can directly represent
the nuclear radiation cumulant through the resistance value of the spintronic memristor. In addition, it can
eliminate the influence of dark current in the nuclear radiation conversion device by using the current threshold
characteristic of the spintronic memristor when there is no nuclear radiation. The characteristics and
differences of single spintronic memristor and memristor array in nuclear radiation circuits are analysed.
Compared with the two, the range of the spintronic memristor array is increased by about half, but the
sensitivity is also reduced by half.
Here are the key conclusions from the result analysis of the nuclear radiation cumulant sensor based on
spintronic memristor:
 Measurement Range and Sensitivity: The sensor can measure single spintronic memristor with a
measurement range of 0-1.598 mGy, with sensitivity being 2503.13 Ω/mGy; whereas the sensor can measure
the memristor array in nuclear radiation cumulant circuit in the range of 0–3.2 mGy with a sensitivity of
1251.47 Ω/mGy. Comparing the two, if the range of the spintronic memristor array is increased by half, the
sensitivity will also decrease by half.
 Impact of Radiation Intensity: Higher radiation intensity increases the speed of resistance change in the
memristor but does not affect the measurement range or sensitivity.
 Array Cross Points: Increasing the number of cross points in the memristor array increases the
measurement range but decreases sensitivity.
 Amplifier Gain and Current Limiting Resistance: Higher amplifier gain increases sensitivity but reduces
measurement range, while higher current limiting resistance increases measurement range but decreases
sensitivity.
 Sensor Characteristics: The sensor can realize continuous multiple measurement range of nuclear radiation
cumulant, it has higher flexibility. Thus the measurement range and sensitivity can be adjusted by adjusting
number of memristor array intersections and amplifier gain.

17
COEP TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
 REFERENCES

[1] Changbao Wen, Li Xu, Jun Zha, Chenglong Zhou; “A novel nuclear radiation cumulant sensor based on
Spintronic Memristor”, 31st August, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sna.2022.113842
[2] J.A. Schmitz, D. Rogge, S. Balkir, M.W. Hoffman, M. Bauer, A low-power, highly integrated radiation
detection system for portable, long-duration monitoring, IEEE Sens. 20 (2020) 10664–10678,
https://doi.org/10.1109/JSEN.2020.2995288

[3] Sherif F. Nafea, Ahmed A.S. Dessouki, S. El-Rabaie, Basem E. Elnaghi, Yehea Ismail, Hassan Mostafa,
An accurate model of domain-wall-based spintronic memristor, Integr. - VLSI 65 (2019) 149–162,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j. vlsi.2018.12.001

[4] S. Nafea, A. Dessouki, S. El-Rabaie, B. Elnaghi, Y. Ismail, H. Mostafa, An accurate model of domain-
wall-based spintronic memristor, Integration 65 (2019) 149–162, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vlsi.2018.12.001.

18
COEP TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY