Optical, luminescence and scintillation properties of Mg2+-codoped (Lu, Y)3Al2Ga3O12:Pr garnet crystals: The effect of Y admixture

Mg -codoped Lu3-xYxAl2Ga3O12:Pr (x = 0, 1, 2, and 3) garnet crystals were grown by micro-pulling down method and scintillation characteristics were investigated. An observed red shift of the Pr3+ (5)d(1 )-> 4f luminescence with increasing Y content can be attributed to an increase in crystal field splitting of the 5d levels. Temperature dependence of radioluminescence (RL) spectra was measured in the temperature range of 10-350 K, yielding a decrease of RL yield with increasing temperature for all samples. The LuY2Al2Ga3O12:Pr,Mg exhibits light yield of 9100 photons/MeV along with two scintillation decay components of 8.6 ns (9%) and 25 ns (91%). Afterglow and thermoluminescence characteristics are also investigated.

Automated summary

In this study, Mg-codoped Lu3-xYxAl2Ga3O12:Pr (x = 0, 1, 2, and 3) garnet crystals were grown by the micro-pulling down method, and their scintillation characteristics and temperature dependence of radioluminescence (RL) spectra were investigated. The LuY2Al2Ga3O12:Pr,Mg sample exhibited a high light yield and short scintillation decay time.