A Comparative Study of Li₆ R(BO₃ )₃ ; R = Gd, Lu, & Y), Single Crystals for Thermal Neutron Detection

Abstract

Single crystals of Ce doped Li6Gd(BO3)3 (LGBO:Ce), Li6Lu(BO3)3 (LLBO:Ce), and Li6Y(BO3)3 (LYBO:Ce) are grown using the Czochralski technique. A comparison of the challenges faced in the growth of these materials in single crystalline form is discussed. The grown crystals are characterized for their thermal, structural, optical, and scintillation characteristics to explore their potential as thermal neutron detectors. Scintillator detectors based on LRBO:Ce (R = Gd, Lu, Y) crystals are used successfully to record the pulse‐height spectra from various gamma energies and thermal neutron sources in the flux range from 10 to 107 n (cm2 s)–1.

KLi2RE(BO3)2 (RE = Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Y): Structural, Spectroscopic, And Thermogravimetric Studies on a Series of Mixed-Alkali Rare-Earth Orthoborates

“…Of notes, (Er 3+ ,Yb 3+ ):GdAl 3 (BO 3 ) 4 and (Er 3+ ,Yb 3+ ):GdMgB 5 O 10 crystals were demonstrated to produce a human eye-safe 1.5 μm laser, and their slope efficiencies lie close to that of Er–Yb:commercial glass. , YGa 3 (BO 3 ) 4 activated by Dy 3+ , Tm 3+ , and Ca 4 LaO­(BO 3 ) 3 and codoped with Dy 3+ and Eu 3+ are developed as single-phase phosphors, emitting white light under the excitation of near-UV light. 6 Li- and 10 B-enriched Li 6 RE­(BO 3 ) 3 (RE = Gd, Lu, Y) crystals , were shown to be promising neutron scintillators because of their high yields for thermal neutron irradiation. Recently, rare-earth borates containing alkali elements have received increased attention for their diverse magnetic behaviors, such as K 3 Li 3 Gd 7 (BO 3 ) 9 for cryogenic magnetic cooling, LiCaTb 5 (BO 3 ) 6 for Faraday rotation in the visible range, and ABaRE­(BO 3 ) 2 (A = K and Rb; RE = Gd–Yb) , for the triangular rare-earth lattices.…”

Thermal neutron scintillation improvement in Ce:Li6Y(BO3)3 single crystals by thermal treatment

“…During the past two decades, the scintillation properties of Ce:LYBO have been evaluated, finding that in spite of its a priori promising properties, its light yield is disappointingly low, with 215 and 1200 ph MeV −1 upon α particle and X-ray irradiation, respectively. [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] The grown crystals so far, mainly by the Czochralski (Cz) method with CeO 2 as dopant, tended to have plenty of cracks and always presented a remarkable milky-appearance, 12,13,15) thus indicating that the boules possessed a very low crystalline and optical quality.…”