Stanford and SLAC report strong ultrafast radiation signals in semiconductors

Stanford University researchers working with SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory reported a strong ultrafast optical signal in common II-VI semiconductors after ionization in research published in Nature Photonics. Using high-energy electrons and synchronized laser probes, the team found electron-hole pairs clustered in dense pockets rather than distributing evenly. Those pockets shifted the materials' band gaps and changed light transmission. The researchers said the findings could inform advanced radiation-sensing platforms, including imaging systems. The work was conducted with SLAC's MeV-UED instrument and remains a laboratory result rather than a deployed detector.