Europium and Sodium Codoped LiCaAlF$_{6}$ Scintillator for Neutron Detection

Abstract

A recent study has revealed that a Eu-doped LiCaAlF6 (Eu:LiCAF) crystalline scintillator showed good scintillation response under thermal neutron exposure. We discover here that Eu and Na codoped LiCAF exhibits superior scintillation properties to Eu:LiCAF. We grew Eu 2% and Na 0.5, 1, and 2% codoped LiCAF by the micropulling down method. In radioluminescence spectra, they showed intense emission peaking at 370 nm due to Eu2+ 5d–4f transition. In particular, the light yield of Eu 2% Na 2%-doped LiCAF reached 40000 ph/n, which was about 30% higher than that of Eu:LiCAF.

Inorganic scintillating materials and scintillation detectors

“…During the R&D processes, we found that the light yield can be enhanced by co-doping with alkali metal elements. 144) Alkali metal ions including Na, K, Rb and Cs are known to show no luminescence features. We discovered that, when Na is included to Eu-doped LiCaAlF 6 , the scintillation light yield was enhanced to ∼42,000 ph/n.…”

Luminescence and Scintillation Properties of LiF:W Single Crystal for Thermal-Neutron Detection

“…The GS20 glass scintillator is nonhygroscopic and shows an acceptable light yield (~6000 photons/neutron). In recent years, we have developed LiCaAlF 6 :Eu, (16)(17)(18)(19)(20) which shows nonhygroscopicity and higher light yield (typically ~20000 photons/neutron) than that of GS20. We describe the characteristics of a LiF:W (LiF doped with WO 3 ) single crystal as a thermal-neutron scintillator.…”

Optical and Scintillation Properties of Pure ZnS Crystal

“…In medical applications, heavy scintillators are preferable to detect X-and -ray efficiently. For well-logging, sometimes neutron detectors are utilized and scintillators for neutron detection are generally light metarials such as 6 Li-glass [7][8] (product of Saint Gobain) or 6 LiCaAlF 6 [9][10] (product of Tokuyama Corp.) to suppress -ray environmental background noise.…”