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Yb3+-doped YAlO3 single crystals have been grown by the Czochralski method with a radio-frequency heating system. Starting melt compositions of Y1−xYbxAlO3 were varied with x=0.02, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.45. The best Yb3+-doped YAlO3 single crystals were obtained for a growth rate of 1.0 mm/h. The grown crystals were transparent and almost colorless. To investigate the homogeneity, the effective segregation coefficient of the Yb ion was estimated. The absorption, photoluminescence, and luminescence decay kinetics of Yb3+-doped YAlO3 were investigated for the temperature range 4–300 K. Very fast charge transfer luminescence of Yb3+ from the near ultraviolet to visible spectral range and the high density of the Yb-rich YAlO3 makes this material a promising candidate for fast scintillators.

The effect of Nb codoping on the optical properties of the PbWO4:Mo scintillator is investigated by radio- and thermoluminescence, scintillation decay, and light yield measurements. Steady-state radioluminescence efficiency of PbWO4:Mo,Nb with optimized doping concentrations (2750 and 350 molar ppm, respectively) becomes up to 20 times higher with respect to that of undoped PbWO4 and is comparable to that of Bi3Ge4O12. However, slow components down to several tens of microseconds appear in the time decay. Their existence may be related to the presence of traps monitored by thermoluminescence.

We present correlated measurements of radioluminescence, photoluminescence, and thermoluminescence, as well as the measurements of decay kinetics both under ultraviolet and 22Na(511 keV) photon excitations for Mo-doped and doubly (Mo,Y)-doped PbWO4 single crystals. A wide concentration range of Mo doping (200–50 000 ppm) is covered. Y codoping results in significant suppression of trapping states induced by the Mo doping. Consequently, an improvement of temporal characteristics, such as acceleration of the scintillation decay process, of doubly doped material with respect to Y-free crystals, is achieved. For the optimum Mo concentration (2750–10 000 ppm), the temporal characteristics are fully comparable to an undoped PbWO4, while the light yield is increased by a factor of 2.2.

The changes in the absorption spectra induced by Co-60 irradiation and high temperature annealing was studied for selected PbWO4 crystals. Based on radiation and annealings induced absorption spectra, four color centers are proposed, which could be responsible for shaping the absorption spectrum of PbWO4 crystals below 3.6 eV, namely Pb3+, O-, F, and F+ centers. Thermoluminescence (TSL) glow curves above room temperature were also studied on these samples to determine further the trap levels resulting from irradiation. Correlation between the results obtained by TSL and Co-60 irradiation induced absorption changes is discussed. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.

The emission properties of a new phosphor based on LiTaO3:Tb3+ are described. It is shown to be a storage phosphor, i.e., after previous x‐ray exposure, Tb3+ emission in green‐red region of spectrum can be photostimulated by light in 400–800 nm spectral range. Emission centers (Tb3+ ions), electron storage centers (oxygen vacancies) and competing nonradiative recombination centers (oxygen ion and Li vacancy couples), are recognized as the key elements in the energy transfer processes and overall emission efficiency of LiTaO3:Tb3+.

We present the effect of a rapid thermal treatment (RTT) at high temperature (1800degreesC) on the radio-luminescence properties of Ce-doped SiO2 glasses prepared by the sol-gel method and previously densified at 1050degreesC. Cerium concentrations ranging from 0.05 up to 1 mol % were considered. We found that, for all concentrations, the RTT induces a strong increase of the Ce3 radio-luminescence efficiency; the x-ray-induced luminescence intensity of the SiO2:0.1% Ce is about twice that of Bi3Ge4O12. The decay time of the scintillation response, evaluated as approximate to50 ns, is not affected by RTT. Infrared absorption measurements indicate that the luminescence increase cannot be related to significant release of OH groups during RTT. The conversion of Ce4 ions into Ce3 ions can also be ruled out since an increase of about 20% of the intensity of the 4.8 eV optical absorption band related to Ce4 was observed after RTT. The occurrence of dissolution of rare-earth aggregates is suggested. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Photo- and radioluminescence, decay kinetics, and thermoluminescence are reported for a set of Ce3+-doped phosphate glasses. The presence of Gd3+ ions in the glass host matrix at concentrations above 20% enhances the energy transfer towards the Ce3+ emission centers, which results in a remarkable enhancement of the radioluminescence light output. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)04340-0].

The compositional dependence of luminescence properties and scintillation response were investigated in Ce3+-doped Y2Gd1Al5-xGaxO12 (x = 2, 3, 4) single crystals. The Gd3+ → Ce3+ energy transfer was evidenced by photoluminescence excitation spectra of Ce3+ emission. With increasing Ga content in the garnet host, the Ce3+ luminescence from the lowest 5d level (5d1) is shifted toward higher energy due to the decrease in the crystal field splitting of the 5d levels. Light yield (LY) and its dependence on the amplifier shaping time were measured under excitation with γ-rays. High LY value of ∼38 000 ph/MeV was obtained for a Y2Gd1Al3Ga2O12:Ce sample. Scintillation decay was measured with an extended dynamical and temporal scale under the nanosecond pulse soft X-ray excitation. The decrease of both LY value and relative contribution of slower decay component in the scintillation response was observed with increasing Ga content in the garnet host.

In the recent successful improvement of scintillation efficiency in Lu3Al5O12:Ce driven by Ga3+ and Gd3+ admixture, the “band-gap engineering” and energy level positioning have been considered the valid strategies so far. This study revealed that this improvement was also associated with the cerium valence instability along with the changes of chemical composition. By utilizing X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy technique, tuning the Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio by Ga3+ admixture was evidenced, while it was kept nearly stable with the Gd3+ admixture. Ce valence instability and Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio in multicomponent garnets can be driven by the energy separation between 4f ground state of Ce3+ and Fermi level.

LiCaAlF6-based scintillators are studied under X- and soft gamma-ray excitations. Under nanosecond pulsed soft X-ray laser excitation the scintillation decay is measured with extremely high dynamical resolution and broad time scale. The undoped LiCaAlF6 shows complex temperature dependence of exciton luminescence and tunneling-driven energy transfer process in scintillation decay. In both the Ce and Eu-doped LiCaAlF6 the dominant part of measured scintillation decay is due to prompt recombination of electrons and holes at the doped emission centers. Nevertheless, the measured light yield value is considerably lower with respect to the derived upper limits. Possible origin of its deterioration is discussed.

0.5, 1.0, and 5.0 at. % Pr3+ doped Lu3Al5O12 (Pr:LuAG) optical ceramics are fabricated and compared with Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO) and Pr:LuAG single crystals as for their optical, luminescence and scintillation properties. Radio-luminescence intensity of the fast UV emission based on 5d1→4f Pr3+ transition reaches up to 20 times of that of BGO single crystal reference scintillator. Photoelectron yield of the best performing 0.5 at. % Pr:LuAG ceramic sample is about 1002 phels/MeV, about 30% lower than that of BGO reference sample and about 65% lower than that of Pr:LuAG single crystal. The trapping phenomena at grain boundaries and/or structural defects are proposed as the main cause of degradation of the scintillation response of the Pr:LuAG optical ceramics.

Luminescence and defect creation processes were studied by the photoluminescence, thermally stimulated luminescence, and electron paramagnetic resonance methods in the UV-irradiated single crystals of undoped YAlO3, containing small amounts of Ce, Mo, and Ti ions as accidental impurities. The luminescence of the electron antisite YAl2+-type centers of different structures was found around 2.45 eV and studied at 4.2–500 K. The luminescence of the Ti3+-related centers (2.03 and 1.73 eV) and Ti4+ centers (2.78 eV) was observed as well. Dependences of the number of the YAl2+-type and Ti3+-related centers on the UV irradiation energy, temperature, and duration, as well as on various crystal heat-treatment procedures were examined. As a result of the photostimulated electron transfer from the O2− ligand ions to Mo4+ and Ti4+ ions, the paramagnetic hole O−-type centers and electron Ti3+ and Mo3+ centers are created. The antisite YAl2+-type centers are created due to the photostimulated release of electrons mainl...

In this paper, we investigate the temperature dependence of luminescence characteristics of highly efficient cerium-doped scintillator, lutetium-yttrium orthosilicate Lu2(1−x)Y2xSiO5:Ce3+. The photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra have been measured in a broad temperature range. The temperature dependence of the Ce1 and Ce2 decay times shows the onset of decay time decrease at about 300 K. This observation demonstrates that unlike so far reported, the Ce2 center is not substantially quenched until room temperature. The 5d1 excited-state ionization of both Ce1 and Ce2 centers is studied by purely optical methods.

The self-trapping of holes at oxygen anions was studied by electron spin resonance in UV irradiated CdWO{sub 4} crystals. Analysis of superhyperfine interaction of the holes with {sup 183}W and {sup 111,113}Cd isotopes shows that the self-trapped hole is either delocalized in the space between two energetically equivalent nearest neighbor oxygen ions or tunnels between them. When the temperature increases above 40-50 K the self-trapped holes are thermally liberated and can be retrapped by oxygen ions perturbed by impurity ions. In case of the Nb{sup 5+} or Li{sup +} stabilizing impurities the O{sup -} centers are thermally stable up to 160-170 K. The study of kinetic characteristics of the self-trapped holes suggests that holes leave oxygen ions by thermally assisted tunneling mechanism via two slightly different channels. Corresponding ionization probabilities are defined by the Arrhenius law with an average thermal ionization energy E=90(5) meV. Calculated pre-exponential factors, about 10{sup 5} s{sup -1}, are small, which is consistent with the tunneling mechanism. Thermal stability and kinetic characteristics of the trapped holes are discussed in light of the scintillation and thermoluminescence characteristics of CdWO{sub 4}.

PbWO4 single crystals with praseodymium doping in a wide concentration range (0.1-5 at % in the melt) were grown by Czochralski method. Absorption, luminescence, and scintillation characteristics were measured at room temperature. Similar to other trivalent dopants, heavy Pr3+ doping on one hand suppresses intrinsic host scintillation. On the other hand though, in the scintillation decay it introduces components with characteristic decay times within 500-2000 ns based on Pr3+ 4f-4f emission lines in the green-red part of the spectra. We discuss the suitability of such material for dual scintillation/Cherenkov light detector. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.

Liquid phase epitaxy grown Lu3Al5O12:Ce (LuAG:Ce) 20μm thick films and plate cut from the bulk Czochralski-grown LuAG:Ce crystal were prepared for comparison of photoelectron yield (PhY) and PhY dependence on shaping time (0.5–10μs). Am241 (α particles) was used for excitation. At the 0.5μs shaping time, the best film shows comparable PhY with the bulk sample. PhY of bulk material increases noticeably more with shaping time than that of the films. Energy resolution of films is better. Influence of Pb2+ contamination in the films (from the flux) and antisite LuAl defect in bulk material is discussed.

Temperature dependence of luminescence decay parameters of YbxY1−xAlO3 scintillator within 10(80)–300K is presented for two samples with x=0.02 and 0.3 and using the ultraviolet (x-ray) nanosecond pulsed excitations. Above 180K the scintillation decay is governed by a fast, nearly exponential component in both samples of the decay time of several nanoseconds and all the slower decay components become negligible. Faster scintillation response of the x=0.3 sample is achieved in the whole temperature range with respect to the x=0.02 one due to the concentration quenching of charge-transfer luminescence of Yb3+.

Ultraviolet and x-ray excited luminescence of fluorescein and rhodamine-6G doped sol-gel glasses were studied at room temperature with the aim of characterizing and understanding the scintillation performance of such materials. Fast energy transfer from the glass host to the dye luminescent centers was found. While the overall radioluminescence efficiency was rather low due to nonradiative losses in the glass host, our results demonstrate the potential of sol-gel technology as a versatile tool in controlling the spectral and time response of such unusual organic–inorganic scintillators.