Search

The development of ultrafast scintillators is critical to the GHz X‐ray and time‐of‐flight (TOF) imaging techniques. Low‐dimensional silver‐based halides have emerged as promising candidates due to high radioluminescence efficiency and ultrafast decay time. However, the ultrafast scintillation mechanism in silver‐based halides, such as Rb2AgBr3 (RAB), remains controversial. Here, the study reveals the origin of ultrafast scintillation timing response in melt‐grown RAB bulk crystals. The RAB shows light‐yellow emission with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 13.9%. Under the picosecond (ps) pulse X‐ray irradiation, RAB has an ultrafast decay time of 3.2 ns that accounts for 40.5% of the total emitted light. The light yield is estimated as 3100 photons MeV−1 under 22Na irradiation. Based on the temperature‐dependent radioluminescence (RL) spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and spectrally resolved thermally‐stimulated luminescence (TSL) glow curves, it is confirmed that the bromine vacancy as the F‐center is the origin of the ultrafast scintillation component. These findings provide elaborated and fundamental insights into the ultrafast luminescent mechanisms of low‐dimensional silver‐based halides, thereby opening up new design horizons in the development of ultrafast scintillators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-phase white light emitters have become a potential substitute for tricolor phosphor mixtures for the white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) application to simplify device structure and eliminate self-absorption. Newly developed lowdimensional halides, noted for their highly efficient luminescent characteristics, have seen increasing interest in recent years. Herein, highly efficient white-light emission is demonstrated in single-phase zero-dimensional halide single crystal, namely monovalent Cu-doped Cs2HfCl6. Cs2HfCl6:Cu single crystals have three luminescent centers. Two emission peaks at 365 nm and 380 nm correspond to the intrinsic self-trapped excitons emission and a defect-related trapped exciton emission, respectively. Cu doping introduces an intense Cu-bound exciton emission peaking at 540 nm with a large Stokes shift of 250 nm and a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 68%. With different excitation wavelengths and Cu-doping concentrations, Cs2HfCl6:Cu single crystals show tunable emissions. Under 254 nm ultraviolet light excitation, Cs2HfCl6:0.5%Cu yields cold white light with a high color rendering index (Ra = 87.3). These findings demonstrate the potential of Cs2HfCl6:Cu as a promising phosphor for cold WLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we conducted an extensive investigation into broadband near-infrared luminescence of Cr3+-doped Ca3Y2Ge3O12 garnet, employing first-principles calculations within the density functional theory framework. Our initial focus involved determining the site occupancy of Cr3+ activator ions, which revealed a pronounced preference for the Y3+ sites over the Ca2+ and Ge4+ sites, as evidenced by the formation energy calculations. Subsequently, the geometric structures of the excited states 2E and 4T2, along with their optical transition energies relative to the ground state 4A2 in Ca3Y2Ge3O12:Cr3+, were successfully modeled using the ΔSCF method. Calculation convergence challenges were effectively addressed through the proposed fractional particle occupancy schemes. The constructed host-referred binding energy diagram provided a clear description of the luminescence kinetics process in the garnet, which explained the high quantum efficiency of emission. Furthermore, the accurate prediction of thermal excitation energy yielded insights into the thermal stability of the compound, as illustrated in the calculated configuration coordinate diagram. More importantly, all calculated data were consistently aligned with the experimental results. This research not only advances our understanding of the intricate interplay between geometric and electronic structures, optical properties, and thermal behavior in Cr3+-doped garnets but also lays the groundwork for future breakthroughs in the high-throughput design and optimization of luminescent performance and thermal stability in Cr3+-doped phosphors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urgency for cost‐effective, high‐resolution, flexible X‐ray imaging detectors is generating great demand for scintillators with low‐temperature processability, high scintillation yield, and negligible afterglow. X‐ray imaging materials are currently dominated by inorganic scintillators in the form of rigid films and bulk crystals, which have inherent limitations including high‐temperature, complex synthesis, and considerable challenges toward advanced nonplanar imaging. Here, high‐performance and flexible X‐ray scintillators based on novel zero‐dimensional (0D) (BTPP)2MnX4 (BTPP = benzyltriphenylphosphonium; X = Cl, Br) halides are reported. They emit bright green light originating from the 4T1‐6A1 transition of Mn2+ under X‐ray excitation. In particular, (BTPP)2MnBr4 single crystals exhibit excellent air‐ and radiation‐stability, a high scintillation yield of 53 000 photons MeV−1, a low detection limit of 89.9 nGyair s−1, and an ultralow afterglow comparable to commercial Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO) single crystals. Moreover, the (BTPP)2MnCl4@polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) flexible scintillation screens achieve a high spatial resolution of 14.1 lp mm−1 and realize high‐quality imaging results of nonplanar objects. This study demonstrates that the flexible scintillation screens based on low‐dimensional Mn(II) hybrid halides have significant potential for low‐dose and high‐resolution X‐ray imaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugated BaI2:Eu (5 at.%) nanocrystalline particles were synthesized, decorated with golden nanoparticles (GNP). GNP demonstrated some hydrophilic effect, leading to the BaI2·H2O phase creation. The Eu2+ luminescence intensity was reduced according to the GNP content. This was due to the decreased number of Eu2+ ions in the BaI2, most probably, arising from the Au substitution for Ba competing with Eu. Moreover, the decay time of luminescence was decreased upon GNP content. This was explained by the moderation of negative charge in the GNP, leading to the repulsion with an electron in the excited Eu2+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erbium-doped Y3Al5O12 (YAG) single crystals grown using the micro-pulling-down technique were investigated. Three Er concentrations were chosen: 0.1, 0.3 and 1 at%. Er3+ electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra were measured in the ground and first excited states. The corresponding g tensors and 167Er hyperfine interaction were changing upon Er content indicating moderation of the Er-O bond length and/or Er local surrounding. Photoluminescence (PL) and radioluminescence (RL) spectra were complex, consisting of strongly overlapped typical Er3+ transitions. In addition, there were other broad PL band (3.1 eV) and RL band (3.95 eV) attributed to the F+ center and yttrium substituting for aluminum (YAl), respectively. The X-ray excited decay kinetics exhibited a decrease of the decay time of the YAl from hundreds of nanoseconds to nanoseconds upon Er doping level. This is discussed and explained considering EPR data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glass‐ceramics (GC) of gadolinium aluminum gallium garnets with the expected composition of Gd3Al3Ga2O12:Ce and Gd3Al3Ga2O12:Ce,Be (GAGG:Ce and GAGG:Ce,Be, respectively) are fabricated by crystallization from the Gd2O3–Al2O3–Ga2O3–CeO2–SiO2–BeO (Gd:Ga:Al ratio is close to 3:2:3) glasses. The influence of Be2+ co‐doping (including doping level) on the luminescent properties of the GAGG is demonstrated. In particular, Be co‐doping results in the suppression of the Ce3+‐related radioluminescence (RL) and as a consequence, the light yield is lowered as well. The conclusion is made that Be2+ creates effective electron or hole trapping centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cs2HfCl6 (CHC) and Cs2ZrCl6 (CZC) single crystals were grown by a vertical Bridgman method. Luminescence and charge trapping properties were studied in CHC crystals by the correlated measurements of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), radioluminescence (RL) and thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) techniques. CZC crystals were studied by the same set of measurements in order to find correlations between CHC and CZC crystals. EPR spectra measured before and after X-ray irradiation in both CHC and CZC samples were attributed with the typical signals of the Vk(a) hole trapping center (Cl2− pseudomolecular ion), which has recently been reported though the magnitude of the signal was much smaller in the CZC crystal. Besides the Vk(a) signal, another spectrum was observed in both samples; however, its intensity was at a very low level. It has been tentatively ascribed to the complex HCl-related hole trapping center. TSL glow curves measured in both CHC and CZC samples within the 10–500 K temperature range were composed of 6–8 complex peaks. The dominating peak at about 100–120 K originates from the de-trapping of holes at the Vk(a) trapping center. Scintillation characteristics of CHC crystal were studied over the temperature range of 9–295 K. Scintillation decay curves were fitted by three components. The CHC crystal demonstrated a much similar light yield of ca. 20 500 ph per MeV at room temperature and 9 K. The temperature dependence of the scintillation light output exhibits an unusual s-shaped character with the drop at around 100 K that correlates well with the decrease in the Vk(a) EPR signal, evidencing detrapping of holes trapped at the Vk(a) center in the CHC crystal. Therefore, the Vk(a) center was assumed to be the part of Hf3+–Cl2− self-trapped exciton (STE) that participates in the emission above 100 K becoming "frozen" below 100 K. RL and TSL spectra were complex in the CHC sample composed of two and three overlapping bands, respectively. One of the components peaking at 2.65 eV originated from the Zr-related STE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several sets of Eu-doped Y3Al5O12 (YAG) ceramic samples were synthesized by the vacuum sintering technique. Their structural, optical and magnetic properties were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, optical absorption, time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance. Multiple annealing in different atmospheres was employed to understand the nature of strong specific absorption bands peaking at about 250, 370 and 550 nm in the case of these ceramics. The influence of sintering aids used during the preparation of ceramics (such as tetraethyl orthosilicate and/or magnesium oxide) on the optical properties is thoroughly studied. The charge transfer transition in the EuY2+ + F+ pair center is suggested to explain the nature of these absorption bands which is also supported by the peculiarities of the Eu2+ 5d–4f and F+/F luminescence occurrence. Application potential of the studied ceramics in the industrial implementation is discussed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]