Effects of Codoping With Divalent Cations on Performance of YAG:Ce,C Scintillator

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Abstract
Growth technologies of oxide crystals in W/Mo crucibles have been developed as a low-cost alternative to conventional processes involving Ir crucibles. Carbon-containing atmosphere needed to protect crucibles from oxidation leads to introduction of carbon into the crystal lattice, creation of carbon-related defects, which affect scintillation performance. Meanwhile, a search for fast scintillators for new generation of positron-emission tomographs and high energy physics experiments at colliders is under way. Codoping with divalent cations has become an efficient way to suppress long components of scintillation decay in Ce-doped scintillators. This work addresses Y 3 Al 5 O 12 (YAG) crystals codoped with carbon, cerium activator and divalent cations. Optical and scintillation properties of YAG:Ce,C,A 2+ crystals (A=Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Ba 2+ , Sr 2+ ) are systematically studied. Among all the studied garnet compounds, YAG:Ce,C,Ca 2+ crystals demonstrated the fastest scintillation decay times, which are promising for the mentioned applications. Mechanisms of scintillation process in the studied materials are discussed. The Ce 3+ /Ca 2+ ratio in YAG:Ce,C,Ca 2+ was optimized to minimize slow components in scintillation decay.
Funding Information
  • Narodowe Centrum Nauki (2018/31/B/ST8/03390, 2020/39/D/ST3/02711)
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (International Research Project ?ScintLab?)
  • National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (0122U002637 "Carbon-2")
  • European Commission (101078960 ?TWISMA?, 857543)
  • Fundacja na rzecz Nauki Polskiej (MAB/2020/14)

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