Rare-Earth Doped Sol-Gel Silicate Glasses for Scintillator Applications

Abstract

Radio-, photo- and thermally stimulated—luminescence (RL, PL, TSL) measurements have been performed on SiO₂ sol-gel glasses doped by 0.1 mol% Ce and 3 mol% Gd, and on (0.1 mol% Ce, 3 mol% Gd) co-doped samples. Ce^3☎ 5d-4f emission peaking at about 2.7 eV has been observed in the RL of SiO₂: 0.1 mol% Ce, while the typical ⁶P-⁸S emission of Gd^3☎ centred at 3.97 eV has been detected in SiO₂: 3 mol% Gd. The co-doped sample displays both 5d-4f Ce^3☎ and ⁶P-⁸S Gd^3☎ emissions with reduced intensities with respect to those observed in the singly doped glasses. Moreover, in co-doped glasses the PL time decay patterns of both rare earth ions show a non exponential dependence and are significantly shortened. To explain such an effect non radiative de-excitation of both RE ions excited states involving energy transfers to defect levels is suggested. Bidirectional Gd^3☎ ↔ Ce^3☎ energy transfers could also occur. Complementary TSL measurements put in evidence the existence of broad glow peaks at about 100 K and 220 K. The TSL spectra feature the RE ions emissions.

Keywords:

• Silicate glasses
• Scintillators
• Rare-earth doping
• Radio-luminescence
• Thermoluminescence