Radioluminescence Investigation of Ion-Irradiated Phosphors.

Phosphors are materials that emit light under the excitation of incoming radiation. This property is used, among other applications, in radiation detection. Efficient energy transfer from the ionization track to the luminescent centers must occur to yield significant light output. Besides, the investigation of the effects of ion irradiation on the luminescence of phosphors is comparatively unexplored. In this work, we review radioluminescence (RL) investigation of ion-irradiated oxides and oxide phosphors, and present preliminary data on the effects of ion irradiation on the luminescence of intrinsic phosphor Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO). Commercial crystals were irradiated, and the irradiation effects characterized by means of RL measurements as a function of temperature, from 10 K to room temperature (RT), and optical absorption measurements. Overall, surface modification induced by ion irradiation leads to higher luminescence output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]