Smoke detectors are the most common consumer product that uses nuclear technology. They work by putting a source of alpha radiation, usually Americium-241, near an ion detector.hen there is a certain concentration of smoke in the air, the charge drops, and the electronics in the detector sound an alert. This design allows smoke detectors to work for a long time, because Americium-241 has a half-life of 458 years. Source: Teaching Advanced Physics.