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In this work, we present preliminary in-line X-ray lensless projection imaging results at a synchrotron facility by using novel solid-state detectors based on non-destructive readout of photoluminescent colour centres in lithium fluoride thin films. The peculiarities of LiF radiation detectors are high spatial resolution on a large field of view, wide dynamic range, versatility and simplicity of use. These properties offered the opportunity to test a broadband X-ray synchrotron source for lensless projection imaging experiments at the TopoTomo beamline of the ANKA synchrotron facility by using a white beam spectrum (3-40 keV). Edge-enhancement effects were observed for the first time on a test object; they are discussed and compared with simulations, on the basis of the colour centre photoluminescence linear response found in the investigated irradiation conditions. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radiation-induced color centers locally produced in lithium fluoride (LiF) are successfully used for radiation detectors. LiF detectors for extreme ultraviolet radiation, soft and hard X-rays, based on photoluminescence from aggregate electronic defects, are currently under development for imaging applications with laboratory radiation sources, as well as large-scale facilities. Among the peculiarities of LiF-based detectors, noteworthy ones are their very high intrinsic spatial resolution across a large field of view, wide dynamic range, and versatility. LiF crystals irradiated with a monochromatic 8 keV X-ray beam at KIT synchrotron light source (Karlsruhe, Germany) and with the broadband white beam spectrum of the synchrotron bending magnet have been investigated by optical spectroscopy, laser scanning confocal microscopy in fluorescence mode, and confocal Raman micro-spectroscopy. The 3D reconstruction of the distributions of the color centers induced by the X-rays has been performed with both confocal techniques. The combination of the LiF crystal capability to register volumetric X-ray mapping with the optical sectioning operations of the confocal techniques has allowed performing 3D reconstructions of the X-ray colored volumes and it could provide advanced tools for 3D X-ray detection.

Solid-state radiation detectors based on the visible photoluminescence of radiation-induced F2 and F3+ color centers in lithium fluoride crystals have been used for advanced diagnostics of 18 and 27 MeV proton beams, produced by the TOP-IMPLART linear accelerator, which is under development for protontherapy applications at ENEA C.R. Frascati, Italy. Visible fluorescence microscopy was successfully used to read the latent proton beam images stored in the lithium fluoride crystals, thanks to high emission efficiency of the F2 and F3+ color centers obtained by simultaneous optical excitation in the blue spectral range. High intrinsic spatial resolution and wide dynamic range of these novel LiF detectors allow obtaining two-dimensional images of both the beam transverse intensity distribution and of the Bragg curve. By using a simple defect formation model that takes into account the energy released in the material and the saturation of defect concentration, not only the two-dimensional dose map was obtained from the beam transverse intensity distribution image, but also the full Bragg curve was reconstructed, allowing the thorough characterization of proton beams produced by the accelerator.

Lithium fluoride (LiF) crystals were irradiated with a proton beam. With nominal beam energies of 3 and 7 MeV, several irradiations were performed which delivered doses ranging from 103 to 107 Gy. The ionisation produced by the protons in the LiF samples induced the stable formation in the crystalline lattice of colour centres, two types of which, the F2 and F 3 + ones, possess broad photoluminescence bands in the red and green, respectively, when optically pumped in the blue at wavelengths close to 450 nm. At both proton energies, measurements of the distinct F2 and F 3 + contributions to the emission spectra showed a decrease of the F 3 + integrated photoluminescence intensity at large doses, say from ∼106−107 Gy on. We try to explain such a behaviour by assuming the formation of absorption and/or quenching centres, and compare the predictions of an ad hoc developed model with experimental data.

We present the study of optical and spectral properties of radiation-induced stable point defects, known as color centers (CCs), in lithium fluoride (LiF) for the detection of 10 keV XFEL beam at Spring-8 Angstrom Compact free electron LAser (SACLA) in Japan. A thick LiF crystal was irradiated in four spots with 10 keV XFEL beam (pulse duration = 10 fs) with different number of accumulated shots. After irradiation the colored-LiF spots were characterized with an optical microscope in fluorescence mode and their photoluminescence intensity and spectra were analyzed.

In the last few years, the peculiar photoluminescence properties of radiation-induced color centers in lithium fluoride (LiF) films have been successfully used for advanced diagnostics of low-energy proton beams produced by the TOP-IMPLART linear accelerator for protontheraphy under development at ENEA C.R. Frascati. The two-dimensional spatial dose map of the transversal section of proton beams was fully reconstructed in a wide interval of doses. In this work the optical emission properties of LiF thin films, grown by thermal evaporation on glass and Si(100) substrates and subsequently irradiated by proton beams of nominal energy 3 MeV at doses higher than 105 Gy, were carefully investigated. Their structural and morphological analyses were performed by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. A careful comparison of the photoluminescence and photoluminescence-excitation spectra of F2 and F3+ electronic defects was performed. Substrate-enhanced photoluminescence intensity increase up to 100% was observed in colored LiF films grown on Si substrates with respect to glass ones. This behavior can be substantially ascribed to the reflective properties of the Si substrate at the emission wavelengths of F2 and F3+ CCs, although other complex effects due to the polycrystalline nature of the films cannot be excluded.

Luminescence properties of point defects in insulating materials are successfully used for solid state light sources and radiation detectors. Among them, colour centres in lithium fluoride, LiF, are well known for their application in tuneable lasers and dosimeters. Broad-band light-emitting F2 and F3+ electronic defects, stable at room temperature, are produced in LiF crystals and films by different kinds of radiation. Under blue optical pumping in their overlapping absorption bands, the efficient photoluminescence spans over the green-red visible spectral range. Novel LiF thin-film radiation imaging detectors based on the exploitation of the peculiar spectral characteristics of F2 and F3+ defects and of the optical properties and radiation sensitivity of the LiF material have been proposed and successfully tested for extreme ultraviolet radiation, soft and hard X-ray imaging, including micro-radiography of biological objects, even for in vivo samples. After exposure to X-rays, the latent images stored in the LiF thin layers by local formation of active defects are read with conventional and advanced optical fluorescence microscopes. Among the main advantages of the LiF thin-film imaging detectors, there are intrinsic very high spatial resolution, large field of view and wide dynamic range. Moreover, these solid state radiation detectors are easy to handle, as insensitive to ambient light, and no development process is needed. Recently their use has been extended to proton beam advanced diagnostics. In this paper, a short review of their properties, results and applications in X-ray biological imaging and proton dose-mapping is presented, underlying the great versatility and potentialities offered by LiF thin films, whose photoluminescence response can be improved through the choice of suitable substrates and growth conditions. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Colour centres (CCs) in lithium fluoride (LiF) are well known for application in tuneable lasers and dosimeters. The visible photoluminescence (PL) of radiation-induced, broad-band light-emitting aggregate CCs in LiF crystals and films has been proposed for high spatial resolution X-ray imaging; use of LiF-based detectors has been recently successfully extended to advanced diagnostics of low-energy proton beams. After exposure, transversal dose mapping was obtained on LiF films by acquiring the visible PL image of the irradiated spots in a fluorescence microscope under blue-light pumping. Irradiation of thermally evaporated LiF thin films with a proton beam of 3 MeV nominal energy, produced by a linear accelerator, in the fluence range of 1011–1015 protons/cm2, induces the formation of stable CCs, mainly the primary F centre and the aggregate F2 and F3 + defects. A comparison with irradiations performed at 7 MeV shows that the spectrally integrated PL as a function of the absorbed dose is independent on the selected beam energy, at least as far as typical LiF film thicknesses are concerned. The PL behaviour vs. dose can be described by a linear growth which covers up to three order of magnitude, followed by saturation at high values (> ≈105 Gy). The spectral contributions of F2 and F3 + CCs to the detected PL, in the red and in the green respectively, under laser pumping were carefully analysed in order to investigate behaviour differences of these defects at high doses. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.

Proton beams of 3 and 7 MeV energies, produced by a linear accelerator, were used to irradiate lithium fluoride crystals and thermally evaporated LiF thin films in the fluence range of 1011-1015 protons/cm2. The irradiation induces the formation of stable colour centres, mainly the primary F centre and the aggregate F2 and F 3 + defects. By optical pumping in the blue spectral region, the F2 and F3 + centres emit broad photoluminescence bands in the visible spectral range. By conventional fluorescence microscopy, the integrated photoluminescence intensity was carefully measured in LiF crystals and thin films as a function of the irradiation fluence: a linear optical response was obtained in a large range of fluence, which is dependent on the used LiF samples and the selected beam energy. It was possible to record the transversal proton beam intensity profile by acquiring the photoluminescence image of the irradiated spots on LiF films by a standard optical microscope. Using LiF films grown on silicon substrates irradiated in a particular geometry, the same optical reading microscopy technique allowed one to measure the distribution of colour centres photoluminescence along the depth and direct imaging the Bragg peak position, which gives a rough estimation of the initial proton beam energy.© 2014 Published by Elsevier B.V.

In this work, nanomaterials were used as consolidants and protective layers for artistic stones. Synthetized nanocomposites were applied on marble and their performances as protective and water repellent coating were characterized. For the preparation of the novel nanocomposites, SiO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by laser pyrolysis and were dispersed in acrylic polymer and silicon-based resin. To evaluate the retreatability of water repellent treatments, the capability of laser to remove protective layers was explored. Laser cleaning tests with different working parameters have been carried out to optimize the effectiveness of the process. The effects of laser treatments on stone surfaces and on the applied nanocomposites were estimated by using confocal optical microscopy and Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF).

In the last few years, the visible photoluminescence (PL) of radiation-induced laser-active F2 and F3+ aggregate color centers (CCs) in lithium fluoride, LiF, has been successfully used for advanced diagnostics of low-energy proton beams. A systematic study of the optical properties of LiF crystals and thin films exposed in different irradiation geometries to a proton beam of nominal energy 7 MeV is under way. The ionization induces the stable formation of primary and aggregate CCs in the crystalline lattice, among which the F2 and F3+ defects possess broad emission bands in the red and green spectral ranges, respectively, when optically pumped at wavelengths close to 450 nm. Their PL intensity has been found to be linearly proportional to the dose absorbed by the host material over at least three orders of magnitude, so that LiF solid-state dosimeters based on spectrally-integrated PL reading can be envisaged. A simple defect formation model that takes into account the energy released in the material, crystals and films, together with the saturation of CC concentration at high doses, allows obtaining both the full Bragg curve reconstruction with its dose distribution with depth and the accumulated bi-dimensional transversal dose-mapping from the visible fluorescence images latently stored in LiF crystals and thin films, respectively. Results obtained by using a fluorescence microscope are presented and discussed with the aim of highlighting some quantitative aspects of the PL behavior of CCs both in LiF crystals and films, which are relevant for low-energy proton-beam Bragg curve imaging and dose mapping in a wide interval of doses up to the ones at which strong CC saturation occurs.

A lithium fluoride crystal slab was irradiated in air with a proton beam of nominal 7 MeV energy at a linear accelerator that is under development at ENEA C.R. Frascati. The irradiation generated a spatial distribution of stable colour centres in the crystal that could be detected as a luminescent image under blue-light excitation in a fluorescence microscope. The reconstruction of the whole Bragg curve from the luminescent image is here demonstrated for the first time by taking into account finite proton-energy bandwidth and saturation of defect concentration due to high absorbed dose. The obtained results confirm lithium fluoride detectors based on visible photoluminescence of radiation-induced aggregate colour centres as reliable candidate devices for advanced proton-beam diagnostics. © CopyrightEPLA, 2018.

LiF films grown on glass and Si(100) substrates by thermal evaporation were used as radiation imaging detectors to evaluate the Bragg peak position of a 3 MeV proton beam produced by a linear accelerator. The proton irradiation of LiF films induces the formation of stable color centers, mainly the primary F centers and the aggregate F2 and F3 + defects, whose local concentrations are proportional to the deposited energy. Under optical pumping in the blue spectral region, F2 and F3 + color centers emit broad photoluminescence bands located at 678 and 541 nm, respectively, which can be detected by conventional fluorescence microscopy. Photoluminescence images of the top surface of the exposed LiF films allowed obtaining the Bragg peak position of the proton beam, whose evaluation is in satisfactory agreement with software simulations.

Among insulating materials, lithium fluoride (LiF) has been successfully used as ionizing radiation dosemeter for more than 60 years. Thermoluminescence (TL) has been the most commonly used reading technique to evaluate the absorbed dose. Lately, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) of visible emitting color centers (CCs) has also been explored in pure and doped LiF. This work focuses on the experimental behaviour of nominally pure LiF crystals dosemeters for 6 MV x rays at low doses based on photoluminescence (PL) of radiation induced CCs. Polished LiF crystals were irradiated using 6 MV x rays produced by a clinical linear accelerator. The doses (absorbed dose to water) covered the 1-100 Gy range. Optical absorption spectra show stable formation of primary F defects up to a maximum concentration of 2 1016 cm-3, while no significant M absorption band at around 450 nm was detected. On the other hand, under Argon laser excitation at 458 nm, PL spectra of the irradiated LiF crystals clearly exhibited the characteristic F2 and F+ 3 visible broad emission bands. Their sum intensity is linearly proportional to the absorbed dose in the investigated range. PL integrated intensity was also measured using a conventional fluorescence optical microscope under blue lamp illumination. The relationship between the absorbed dose and the integrated F2 and F+ 3 PL intensities, represented by the net average pixel number in the optical fluorescence images, is also fairly linear. Even at the low point defect densities obtained at the investigated doses, these preliminary experimental results are encouraging for further investigation of CCs PL in LiF crystals for clinical dosimetry. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.

Optically transparent LiF thin films thermally evaporated on glass and Si(100) substrates were used for advanced diagnostics of proton beams of energies from 1.4 to 7 MeV produced by a linear accelerator for protontheraphy under development at ENEA C.R. Frascati. The proton irradiation induces the formation of stable colour centres, among them the aggregate F2 and F3 + optically active defects. After exposure of LiF films grown on glass perpendicularly to the proton beams, their accumulated transversal spatial distributions were carefully measured by reading the latent two-dimensional (2-D) fluorescence images stored in the LiF thin layers by local formation of these broad-band visible light-emitting defects with an optical microscope under blue lamp excitation. Taking advantage from the low thickness of LiF thin films and from the linear behaviour of the integrated F2 and F3 + photoluminescence intensities up to the irradiation fluence of ∼5x1015 p/cm2, placing a cleaved LiF film grown on Si substrate with the cutted edge perpendicular to the proton beam, the 2-D fluorescence image of the film surface could allow to obtain the depth profile of the energy released by protons, which mainly lose their energy at the end of the path. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.

A recursive procedure is applied to the measured near-field profiles of buried optical waveguides recorded in a lithium fluoride (LiF) crystal by femtosecond laser pulses in order to estimate the core dimensions and the refractive index increase. Albeit the waveguides transversal section geometry is quite complex it is possible to obtain the horizontal and vertical widths and the average refractive index maximum increase assuming a simplified rectangular transversal section in the simulation. The procedure is validated by comparing the simulated results with the experimental near-field profiles and the maximum refractive index values of two commercial optical fibers. Typical dimensions of ∼(8x10)μm2 and refractive index changes of ∼(2-10)x10 -4 were obtained for the LiF waveguides at several wavelengths. © 2014 SBMO/SBMag.

Waveguiding light-emitting strips have been written in a blank LiF crystal with a femtosecond laser, by translating the sample under the pulsed focused beam. Light guiding through these buried micro-structures was observed at several wavelengths between 458 and 1550 nm. Visible photoluminescence spectra of aggregate F2 and F3 + laser active color centers were measured. The refractive index increase, estimated of the order of 10-4 in the visible and near-infrared spectral intervals, is consistent with the stable formation of electronic point defects in LiF. These results are promising for the realization of miniaturized optical waveguiding solid-state amplifiers and lasers based on color centers. © 2014 AEIT.

Proton beams of energy 3 and 7 MeV, produced by a linear accelerator for protontherapy under development at ENEA Frascati, were used to irradiate lithium fluoride (LiF) crystals and 1 μm thick LiF films grown by thermal evaporation on glass substrates, in a fluence range from 10 11 to 10 15 protons/cm 2 . The irradiation of LiF induced the stable formation of aggregate visible-emitting F 2 and F 3 + color centers, which possess almost overlapping absorption bands around 450 nm and, under optical pumping in this spectral region, they simultaneously emit broad photoluminescence bands, peaked at 678 nm and 541 nm, respectively. Their laser excited emission spectra were acquired and the integrated photoluminescence signal was measured using a fluorescence optical microscope equipped with a cooled s-CMOS camera. The photoluminescence of proton irradiated LiF crystals and films shows an interesting linear response as a function of the irradiation fluence. By optical fluorescence microscopy, it was possible to record the transversal proton beam intensity profile by acquiring the photoluminescence image of irradiated LiF. Moreover, using cleaved LiF films grown on silicon substrates irradiated in a particular geometry allowed one to measure the colour centres photoluminescence distribution with proton penetration depth and provided a direct imaging of the Bragg peak.

Lithium fluoride is a well-known dosimeter material and it is currently under investigation also for high-resolution radiation imaging detectors based on colour centre photoluminescence. In order to extend their applications, proton beams of 3 MeV energy, produced by a linear accelerator, were used to irradiate LiF crystals and thin films in the fluence range of 1010–1015 protons/cm2. The irradiation induces the formation of colour centres, mainly the primary F centre and the aggregate F2 and F 3 + defects, which are stable at room temperature. By optical pumping in the blue spectral region, the F2 and F 3 + centres emit broad photoluminescence bands in the visible spectral range. By conventional fluorescence microscopy, the integrated photoluminescence intensity was carefully measured in LiF crystals and thin films as a function of the irradiation fluence: a linear optical response was obtained in a large range of fluence, which is dependent on the used LiF samples. Colour centres concentrations were estimated in LiF crystals by optical absorption spectroscopy. It was possible to record the transversal proton beam intensity profile by acquiring the photoluminescence image of the irradiated spots on LiF films.

Proton beams of 3 MeV energy, produced by the injector of a linear accelerator for proton therapy, were used to irradiate at room temperature lithium fluoride crystals and polycrystalline thin films grown by thermal evaporation. The irradiation fluence range was 1011-1015 protons/cm2. The proton irradiation induced the stable formation of primary and aggregate color centers. Their formation was investigated by optical absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The F2 and F3 + photoluminescence intensities, carefully measured in LiF crystals and thin films, show linear behaviours up to different maximum values of the irradiation fluence, after which a quenching is observed, depending on the nature of the samples (crystals and films). The Principal Component Analysis, applied to the absorption spectra of colored crystals, allowed to clearly identify the formation of more complex aggregate defects in samples irradiated at highest fluences. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.

In this work we tested use of thin film aluminium coating to enhance the temperature sensing features of FBG sensors. Thin film coating was evaporated on the Bragg grating after removal of the original acrylate recoating, using a modified vacuum evaporation system that allows uniform radial deposition around the fibre. Results show that recoating thickness up to 0.5 μm do not produce appreciable effects, whereas thickness of 2.3 μm appreciably increases temperature sensitivity without increasing time response constant. © 2013 SPIE.

Broad-band light-emitting radiation-induced F2 and F3+ electronic point defects, which are stable and laser-active at room temperature in lithium fluoride crystals and films, are used in dosimeters, tuneable color-center lasers, broad-band miniaturized light sources and novel radiation imaging detectors. A brief review of their photoemission properties is presented, and their behavior at liquid nitrogen temperatures is discussed. Some experimental data from optical spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy of these radiation-induced point defects in LiF crystals and thin films are used to obtain information about the coloration curves, the efficiency of point defect formation, the effects of photo-bleaching processes, etc. Control of the local formation, stabilization, and transformation of radiation-induced light-emitting defect centers is crucial for the development of optically active micro-components and nanostructures. Some of the advantages of low temperature measurements for novel confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy techniques, widely used for spatial mapping of these point defects through the optical reading of their visible photoluminescence, are highlighted. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

Systematic irradiation of thermally evaporated 0.8 μm thick polycrystalline lithium fluoride films on glass was performed by proton beams of 3 and 7 MeV energies, produced by a linear accelerator, in a fluence range from 1011to1015protonscm2. The visible photoluminescence spectra of radiation-induced F2 and F3+laser active color centers, which possess almost overlapping absorption bands at about 450 nm, were measured under laser pumping at 458 nm. On the basis of simulations of the linear energy transfer with proton penetration depth in LiF, it was possible to obtain the behavior of the measured integrated photoluminescence intensity of proton irradiated LiF films as a function of the deposited dose. The photoluminescence signal is linearly dependent on the deposited dose in the interval from 103 to about 106Gy, independently from the used proton energies. This behavior is very encouraging for the development of advanced solid state radiation detectors based on optically transparent LiF thin films for proton beam diagnostics and two-dimensional dose mapping. © 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

Local fluorescent probes based on low-energy electron beam irradiated lithium fluoride (LiF) thin films were preparated and tested for their applications in Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy. © 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Lithium fluoride (LiF) films irradiated by low energy electrons were employed as active spacers in all-solid, dielectric optical microcavities emitting in the visible spectral range. We present the results of optical characterization of the spontaneous emission from F 2 color centers embedded in a LiF layer confined inside a planar microcavity. These structures seem promising for the realization of novel kinds of solid-state miniaturized emitting devices.

Broadband waveguiding through light-emitting strips directly written in a blank lithium fluoride crystal with a femtosecond laser is reported. Light guiding was observed at several optical wavelengths, from blue, 458 nm, to near-infrared, at 1550 nm. Visible photoluminescence spectra of the optically active F2 and F3+ color centers produced by the fs laser writing process were measured. The wavelength-dependent refractive index increase was estimated to be in the order of 10-3-10 -4 in the visible and near-infrared spectral intervals, which is consistent with the stable formation of point defects in LiF. © 2014 Chinese Physical Society and IOP Publishing Ltd.

The photo-bleaching effects of selective ultraviolet and blue light illumination on the photoluminescence spectra of thermally evaporated tris(8-hydroxy-quinoline) aluminum (Alq(3)) thin films exposed in air were investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and advanced optical imaging techniques. The photoluminescence intensity time behavior observed in the Alq(3) films at different excitation powers allows to establish that Alq(3) molecules in their exciting state are involved in these complex phenomena. The photo-bleaching processes were exploited for direct laser patterning of the investigated Alq(3) thin films

The characterization of intense radiofrequency-microwave electromagnetic pulses\break (EMPs) generated by the interaction of powerful lasers with matter is a very hot topic of research, for both inertial-confinement-fusion and laser-plasma acceleration facilities spread around the world. These fields are often detrimental for the operation and even the survival of active diagnostics placed around the interaction region, but they might be also used as a plasma diagnostics or for application to studies on materials and devices in these extreme-field conditions. The reliable measurement of these intense fields by classical conductive probes is a well-known problem and for this reason fully electro-optical (EO) probes have been recently developed and proved to be a very interesting solution even at petawatt laser-pulse regimes. Indeed, in some experiments performed with the nanosecond ABC laser we found that part of the diffused main laser-pulse may occasionally be coupled with the optical path of the probing CW laser within the crystal of the electro-optical probe, and lead to important reductions of the detector sensitivity. To resolve this problem we investigated here, by two experimental campaigns, the use of thick dielectric shields for the crystal, to be highly absorbing for the main laser wavelength and in general for visible radiation, and at the same time highly transparent to the wide radiofrequency-microwave range of the EMP fields to be measured. As result of this study we found that Ertalon 6XAU is an excellent material for these purposes, and thus we carefully designed and realized a suitable shielding for the EO probes made of this material.