Luminescence and Light Yield of La2O3 and Gd2O3 Glass Host Co-Doped Ce3+, Pr3+

Abstract

Background and Objectives :Develop the efficiency of SBAL and SBALG scintillators and improve the light yield of scintillator by doping Ce³⁺and Pr³⁺ compared with BGO crystal as standard.

Methodology : In this research, 2 formulas of glass scintillators were developed include: 5SiO₂ - 30B₂O₃ - 25Al₂O₃ – 30La₂O₃ (SBAL) and 15SiO₂ - 30B₂O₃ - 25Al₂O₃ – 22.5La₂O₃ – 7.5Gd₂O₃ (SBALG), Both formular were doped with Ce³⁺and Pr³⁺. The glass samples were prepared by melt-quenching method under a CO reducing atmosphere and were annealed at 700^oC for 3 hours.

Main Results : The absorption band of energy compose Gd³⁺ (4f-4f) at 272 nm, Pr³⁺ (4f-4f) at 400-500 nm and the absorption edge of Ce³⁺ (5d-4f) at 370 nm. Moreover, this research applied density functional theory (DFT) and random phase approximation (RPA) to predict the energy absorption performance of glass structures that        affect the luminescence of glass samples. The emission band of the Ce³⁺: 5d - 4f transition region 370 - 630 nm and the emission spectra of Pr³⁺ (4f-4f) of glass samples SBAL and SBALG at the energy level ¹D₂ ®³H₄ transition at 604 nm.

Conclusions : Excitation glass sample with X-rays irradiation found that the luminescence efficiency was about 2.52% of SBAL and 7.83% of SBALG glass sample compared with BGO crystals. The light yield (LY) tested under excitation with a particles (²³⁸Pu) found that the SBALG glass sample has enegy value higher than SBAL compared with BGO crystal. So SBALG glass structure is suitable for using scintillator material because of it has the good ability to react with radiation.