Optical and scintillation properties of Ce3+-doped YGd2Al5-xGaxO12 (x=2,3,4) single crystal scintillators

The optical and scintillation properties of Ce3+-doped YGd2Al5-xGaxO12 (x=2,3,4) single crystals were investigated. With increasing Ga content in the garnet host, the 5d(1) absorption and emission bands shift toward higher energy due to the decrease in the crystal field splitting of the 5d levels. Temperature dependences of absorption and emission spectra and of photoluminescence decays of both prompt and delayed components were measured. Light yield (LY) and its dependence on an amplifier shaping time were measured under excitation with gamma-rays. High LY value of 38,000 photons/MeV was obtained for a YGd2Al2Ga3O12:Ce sample. Scintillation decay was measured with an extended dynamical and temporal scale under the nanosecond-pulsed soft X-ray excitation. The relative content of the fastest component in the scintillation response increases with increasing Ga content. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.