Ce³⁺, Pr³⁺ Co-Doped Lu₃Al₅O₁₂ Single Crystals and Ceramics: A Comparative Study

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Luminescence and Scintillation
• Solid-State Physics

Background:

• Lutetium Aluminum Garnet (LuAG) is a promising host material for scintillators.
• Co-doping with Cerium (Ce3+) and Praseodymium (Pr3+) ions can tailor luminescence properties.
• Investigating both single crystal and ceramic forms is crucial for optimizing performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the scintillation properties of Ce, Pr:LuAG single crystals and ceramics.
• To evaluate the impact of fabrication method (optical floating zone vs. reactive vacuum sintering) on material characteristics.
• To determine the suitability of these materials for radiation detection.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of Ce, Pr:LuAG single crystals via optical floating zone (OFZ) method.
• Fabrication of Ce, Pr:LuAG ceramics using reactive vacuum sintering.
• Characterization of microstructure, optical transmittance, X-ray excited luminescence (XEL), and scintillation light yield (LY).

Main Results:

• Ceramics showed lower transmittance (~20%) than crystals (~65%).
• XEL spectra revealed characteristic Ce3+ and Pr3+ emissions.
• Ce, Pr:LuAG ceramics achieved a higher maximum light yield (34,112 pho/MeV) and faster decay time compared to single crystals.

Conclusions:

• Ce, Pr:LuAG ceramics demonstrate enhanced scintillation performance over single crystals.
• The improved performance in ceramics is attributed to a more uniform distribution of activators, avoiding segregation effects seen in crystals.
• These findings highlight the potential of Ce, Pr:LuAG ceramics for advanced radiation detection applications.