Luminescent Properties of Eu^3+-activated (70\-x)B_2O_3\-xGeO_2\-Gd_2O_3 Scintillating Glasses.

Borogermanate scintillating glasses with nominal composition of (70\-x)B_2O_3\-xGeO_2\-29Gd_2O_3\-1Eu_2O_3 (20\leq x \leq 45) were synthesized by melt-quenching method. Their structure and optical properties were characterized by transmittance spectra, Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), Raman spectra, excitation and emission spectra, and X-ray excited luminescence (XEL) spectra in detail. Transparency of the as-synthesized borogermanate glasses exceeds 80% in 400-800 nm regions. The cut-off edges of borogermanate glasses are in the vicinity of 308 nm, and they shift towards longer wavelength (red-shifted) with the elevated x values. Both glass density and mean molecular weight increase in a linear relationship with increasing x values. With increasing x values, the characteristic emission intensity of both Gd^3+ and Eu^3+ ions decrease progressively under 276 nm excitation, while these emission intensities seem irregular under 394 nm excitation. The strongest X-ray excited luminescence (XEL) intensity occurs at x = 35 glass sample, which is improved about 35% with comparison to the x = 20 one. Additionally, the information on glass structure is also discussed by FTIR and Raman spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]