Microstructure and optical characteristics of Ce:Gd-3(Ga,Al)(5)O-12 ceramic for scintillator application

Cerium doped Gd-3(Al,Ga)(5)O-12 (GGAG) ceramics with good performances have been fabricated in oxygen atmosphere. The microstructure, luminescence properties, and scintillation characteristics of the GGAG ceramics have been investigated with a Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO) single crystal as the reference sample. The photoluminescence emission of the GGAG ceramics peaked at about 558 nm and matched well with the sensitivity of Si-based photodiodes. The decay time and light output of the GGAG ceramics were about 53 ns and 34400 +/- 1032 ph/MeV, respectively. Both properties are superior to that of commercial BGO single crystals. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.