Luminescence properties and scintillation response in Ce3+-doped Y2Gd1Al5-xGaxO12 (x = 2, 3, 4) single crystals

Abstract

The compositional dependence of luminescence properties and scintillation response were investigated in Ce3+-doped Y2Gd1Al5-xGaxO12 (x = 2, 3, 4) single crystals. The Gd3+ → Ce3+ energy transfer was evidenced by photoluminescence excitation spectra of Ce3+ emission. With increasing Ga content in the garnet host, the Ce3+ luminescence from the lowest 5d level (5d1) is shifted toward higher energy due to the decrease in the crystal field splitting of the 5d levels. Light yield (LY) and its dependence on the amplifier shaping time were measured under excitation with γ-rays. High LY value of ∼38 000 ph/MeV was obtained for a Y2Gd1Al3Ga2O12:Ce sample. Scintillation decay was measured with an extended dynamical and temporal scale under the nanosecond pulse soft X-ray excitation. The decrease of both LY value and relative contribution of slower decay component in the scintillation response was observed with increasing Ga content in the garnet host.

Prospective scintillation electron detectors for S(T)EM based on garnet film scintillators

“…Although the Mg 2+ co‐doping of the LuGAGG:Ce multicomponent garnets does not favorably affect the electron–photon conversion efficiency presented in Figure , the important fact is that the considerable CL temperature quenching of the studied LuGAGG:Ce,Mg film scintillator begins at approximately the temperature of 300 K, that is, above room temperature as previously published (Schauer et al, ). Similar results were also reported by photoluminescence studies of other multicomponent garnets (Chewpraditkul et al, , ). The LuGAGG:Ce,Mg film scintillators may be useful even in an environment with a considerably higher temperature, because they show at least 50% of the low temperature intensity up to the temperature of 400 K.…”

Engineering of bulk and fiber-shaped YAGG:Ce scintillator crystals

“…Second, the band gap decrease by 1.0 eV at full Al 3+ substitution with Ga 3+ 6 diminishes the energy gap between Ce 3+ 5d1 radiating state and the bottom of conduction band and promotes thermal ionization of electrons to the conduction band from this level. The decrease of the room temperature luminescence lifetime down to ~20 ns at intracenter Ce 3+ excitation at 337 nm with Al/Ga substitution was reported on YAGG:Ce polycrystalline sample with 75 at% Ga 17 , and a similar effect of the increase of relative content of the fastest component in the scintillation response with Ga addition was noted in the Y2Gd(Al,Ga)O12:Ce solid solution 18 . Third, codoping with Ca 2+ by the analogy with other complex oxides (the examples will be discussed hereafter) simplifies the carrier transport to cerium activator.…”

Crystal Growth and Phase Formation of High-Entropy Rare-Earth Aluminum Perovskites

“…The field of crystal growth of high-entropy rare-earth (RE) aluminates attracts attention due to the possibility of maximizing the luminescence properties of analogous low-entropy crystals. Single-RE aluminum garnet (RE 3 Al 5 O 12 ) and perovskite (REAlO 3 ) crystals formed by Lu, Y, and Gd are commercially used for scintillation and lasing applications. − Several studies have proven that the performance of garnet crystals can be improved by admixing two or three REs. − This motivated studies on the practical aspect of crystal growth of high-entropy garnets. , Similar admixing studies on aluminum perovskites are limited − and high-entropy perovskites have been only produced as polycrystalline ceramics . Therefore, this study aims to demonstrate the growth of complex perovskites and leverage the future development of functional, complex perovskite crystals.…”