Neutron imaging (NI) is a non-destructive inspection technique with diverse applications across various fields. The major challenge in developing NI techniques is improvement in spatial resolution. Previously, the world’s best resolution of 2000 nm for NI detectors was reported by a group from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA, in 2017. Dr. Abdul Muneem earned his Ph.D. by undertaking a novel and challenging project to develop NI techniques with the world’s best precision. He completed this work under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Jameel-Un Nabi, Vice Chancellor, University of Wah, Pakistan, and the Co-supervision of Prof. Dr. Takehiko R. Saito, Chief Scientist, High Energy Nuclear Physics Laboratory, RIKEN, Japan. In 2022, they developed an NI device with an imaging resolution of 945 nm, setting a new world record for resolution and achieving sub-micrometer resolution. Later in 2024, using the novel fluorescent nuclear track detectors (FNTD)- based NI technique, the world’s best highest resolution was improved to 887 nm, surpassing the previous record. A patent for the invention of a neutron detector based on the FNTD-based NI device was also submitted on 25 December 2024 (Patent application number: 2024-229328).
These NI devices were developed across multiple sites in Japan, including the High Energy Nuclear Physics Laboratory at RIKEN, the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC), the Nishina Center at RIKEN, the RIKEN CBS-Olympus Collaboration Center (RIKEN BOCC), the Center for Advanced Photonics at RIKEN, Nagoya University, and the Research Reactor Institute at Kyoto University.
UW proudly commends the combined efforts of Dr. Abdul Muneem, Prof. Dr. Takehiko R. Saito, Prof. Dr. Jameel-Un Nabi, and the global research team for this extraordinary achievement, which positions Pakistan at the forefront of cutting-edge scientific innovation.
Collaboration list: Abdul Muneem1,2, Hiroyuki Ekawa1, Masahiro Hino3, Katsuya Hirota4, Go Ichikawa4,5, Ayumi Kasagi1,6, Masaaki Kitaguchi7,8, Satoshi Kodaira9, Kenji Mishima4,7, Jameel-Un Nabi10, Manami Nakagawa1, Naotaka Naganawa7,11, Michio Sakashita1, Norihito Saito1, Takehiko R. Saito1,12,13, Satoshi Wada1, Junya Yoshida14,15 and Nakahiro Yasuda16
1RIKEN, Japan 2GIK Institute, Pakistan 3KURNS, Kyoto University, Japan 4KEK, Japan 5J-PARC, Japan 6Rikkyo University, Japan 7Nagoya University, Japan 8KMI, Nagoya University, Japan 9QST, Chiba, Japan 10University of Wah, Pakistan 11IMaSS, Nagoya University, Japan 12GSI, Germany 13Saitama University, Japan 14Tohuku University, Japan 15SRIS, Tohuku University, Japan 16University of Fukui, Japan
