Afterglow based detection and dosimetry of beta particle irradiated ZrO₂

In this work, we report on the afterglow (AG) response characterization of commercially available ZrO₂. Pellet shaped samples previously annealed in air at 1000°C during 24h were exposed to beta particle irradiation in the dose range from 0.5 up to 128Gy and their AG decay curves recorded during 600s after irradiation exposure. The characteristic glow curves of beta particle irradiated ZrO₂ show two maxima located around 80°C and 150°C. The first one rapidly vanishes at room temperature, giving rise to AG. The integrated AG signal increases as dose increases from 0.5 to 128Gy, with a linear dependence from 0.5 up to ca. 32Gy. Excellent reproducibility of the AG response was observed in 10 irradiation - AG readout cycles, showing that the studied ZrO₂ samples are reusable. The results here presented show that ZrO₂ is a promising material for use as a radiation dosimeter based on the AG phenomenon.