When we think of perovskites, a group of minerals made of inorganic chemicals, mainly solar panels appear before our eyes.This is where this material gained the greatest popularity, but it seems that the neutron-sensitive perovskite could gain recognition in the nuclear field as well.This is at least indicated by the latest research by scientists from EPFL, the details of which can be found in the publication in the Scientific Reports journal.These researchers went beyond the usual scheme of using perovskites in photovoltaics, looking for an alternative use for them.We have known about them for a long time, above all, that they have the impressive ability to convert photons into electricity.Also read: A new kind of supernova has been observed.It was created as a result of the fusion of two objectsThe reason for this is their crystalline structure, which we owe to solar panels with 25.5% efficiency of converting solar energy into electricity, or as much as 29.15% when combining perovskite with silicon commonly used in photovoltaics.However, this group of minerals, the name of which we owe to the representative of the group (calcium titanate (IV)), has other uses as well, and I am not talking here, inter alia,about the light sensor.The aforementioned researchers demonstrated it by abandoning the photon sphere in favor of a subatomic particle - the neutron, thanks to which a specific type of perovskite can generate small amounts of electric current.However, they are sufficient to use them in practice after amplification, i.e. where the perovskite can be affected by neutrons.First example?Nuclear reactions that emit free neutrons, thus opening the door for the perovskite to become the basis of an effective leak detector of radioactive materials.READ MORE: A Young Star, A Mysterious Spot and 450 million light years.Astronomers are trying to explain what they observedIn this study, the focus was on lead methylammonium tribromide (MAPbBr3), a special neutron-sensitive perovskite.The crystals of this material were exposed to a source of neutrons that penetrated their atomic nuclei, stimulating them to a higher energy state.This generates gamma rays that charge the perovskite and produce a measurable current that required amplification to make it useful.The team did this with a thin layer of gadolinium which reaches a higher energy state than the perovskite itself, thus producing more gamma photons and a stronger electric current.In their experiments, scientists grew a perovskite crystal around the gadolinium foil in such a way that it was completely absorbed (see above), further enhancing the signal and even measuring the direction and magnitude of neutron flow.Also read: Tactile holograms are getting closer.Scientists are working on technology straight from moviesThe electric current generated in this phenomenon can be transferred to a voltmeter or a current meter.Its readings at an appropriate scale could in turn provide the world with a cheap and simple leak detector for radioactive materials, which scientists are now working on.