Tb³⁺‐doped transparent BaGdF₅ glass‐ceramics scintillator for X‐ray detector

Abstract

Commercial Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO) monocrystal scintillator is relatively complicated to produce and too expensive. Therefore, it is desired to look for alternative scintillating materials with simple process, low consumption, large size, and high efficiency. Here, glass‐ceramics (GC) with high volume fraction of crystal phase and high density by increasing the proportion of heavy metal fluorides in the composition were designed. And bulk Tb3+‐doped transparent BaGdF5 glass‐ceramics with 23.3% crystal volume ratio and density of 4.65 g/cm3 have been prepared. The structural, optical, and luminescent properties of precursor glass and GC were systematically explored through series of characterization techniques including X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmittance spectra, transmission electron microscope (TEM), photoluminescence (PL) spectra, and X‐ray excited luminescence (XEL). After heat treatment, both PL emission and XEL intensity of GC are enhanced because of the movement of Tb3+ ions from the amorphous glass matrix into BaGdF5 nanocrystals, which possess lower phonon energy and better crystal field. The luminescent quantum efficiency of GC reaches 30.7% and the XEL intensity of GC is around 140% of that of the commercial BGO scintillating crystal. Our results demonstrate that BaGdF5:Tb3+ GC may act as efficient scintillator for X‐ray detection.

Halide Perovskite, a Potential Scintillator for X‐Ray Detection

“…In the traditional scintillator, in addition to the above‐mentioned materials, there are many excellent scintillator materials, such as binary halide scintillator, [ 103–110 ] fluoride, [ 111–113 ] and we call these materials as other scintillator materials. Among them, binary halide scintillators, NaI and CsI single crystals, doped with Tl, are the earliest developed scintillator material systems.…”

Structured Scintillators for Efficient Radiation Detection

“…[ 53 ] As the examples, transparent structured scintillators precipitated with BaGdF 5: Tb 3+ and SrGdF 7: Tb 3+ were demonstrated by Guo and co‐workers. [ 54 ] In these materials, Gd element could not only help improve the density and Z but also act as a sensitizer for luminescence. Profiting from high radiation stopping power and efficient energy transfer from Gd 3+ to Tb 3+ , the samples exhibited intense X‐ray excited luminescence with the intensity reaching approximately 140% and 190% of the commercial BGO crystal.…”

Structural phase evolved Ni2+‐doped fluoride nanocrystals in KF−ZnF2−SiO2 glass‐ceramics

“…Tremendous attention has been paid to optical oxyfluoride glass ceramics (GCs) because of their unique comprehensive characteristics of low phonon energy of fluoride crystals, but also favorable mechanical properties and durability of oxide glasses. In particular, through the precipitation of rare earth ions (REIs) and transition metal ions (TMIs)‐doped fluoride nanocrystals (NCs), oxyfluoride GCs have developed potential photoluminescence (PL) and laser applications, including optical waveguide, 1 noninvasive medical diagnostics, 2 optical signal detector, 3,4 white LED, 5‐7 laser cooling, 8 and broadband optical amplifiers in the whole telecommunication window 9,10 . Thus, the design and fabrication of suitable oxyfluoride GCs is meaningful in glass engineering field.…”

“…DING et al nanocrystals (NCs), oxyfluoride GCs have developed potential photoluminescence (PL) and laser applications, including optical waveguide, 1 noninvasive medical diagnostics, 2 optical signal detector, 3,4 white LED, [5][6][7] laser cooling, 8 and broadband optical amplifiers in the whole telecommunication window. 9,10 Thus, the design and fabrication of suitable oxyfluoride GCs is meaningful in glass engineering field.…”