Measure Gamma Rays with a Photodiode: Radiation Detector Using a BPW34

The first device that springs to mind when thinking about measuring radioactivity is the Geiger-Müller tube. However, these counter tubes can be difficult to find and expensive; and, even if you do manage to get hold of one, you will still need to find a way to generate its operating voltage of several hundred volts. It is less well known that even a humble photodiode such as the BPW34 can be used to detect X-rays and gamma radiation.