Lu₃Ga₅O₁₂:Eu³⁺ Garnet Phosphor for X-ray Delayed Imaging

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Solid-State Physics
• Radiological Imaging

Background:

• X-ray-excited persistent luminescence (XEPL) phosphors are crucial for flexible X-ray delayed imaging.
• Current phosphors suffer from poor chemical stability, hindering practical use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a chemically stable XEPL phosphor with high performance for flexible X-ray delayed imaging.
• To characterize the properties of a novel garnet phosphor, Lu₃Ga₅O₁₂:Eu³⁺ (LGG:Eu³⁺).

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of Lu₃Ga₅O₁₂:Eu³⁺ (LGG:Eu³⁺) phosphor.
• Evaluation of chemical stability through repeated X-ray radiation cycles.
• Measurement of persistent luminescence properties, including trap depth and afterglow duration.
• Fabrication of a flexible film using LGG:Eu³⁺ and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for imaging.

Main Results:

• LGG:Eu³⁺ exhibits excellent chemical stability, with no significant luminescence decrease after 50 X-ray radiation cycles.
• The phosphor demonstrates outstanding XEPL performance with shallow traps (0.91 eV) and prolonged afterglow (>50 min).
• A flexible film of LGG:Eu³⁺/PDMS was successfully prepared for X-ray delayed imaging.

Conclusions:

• LGG:Eu³⁺ is a highly chemically stable XEPL phosphor.
• The material shows significant potential for advanced flexible X-ray delayed imaging applications.