{"title":"Investigation of Sm2+ as a near-infrared emitting activator for NaI scintillators","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.optmat.2024.116094","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>NaI is the most commonly used host lattice for scintillators, which makes it interesting to further improve its scintillation properties. Many alternative activators have been tried instead of the conventionally used Tl<span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mtext>+</mtext></mrow></msup></math></span>. In this work, Sm<span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mtext>2+</mtext></mrow></msup></math></span> is used as an near-infrared emitting activator for NaI to study whether it is suitable for readout with silicon based photodetectors. NaI single crystals (co-)doped with 0-0.2% Tl<span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mtext>+</mtext></mrow></msup></math></span> and 0.2%–2% Sm<span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mtext>2+</mtext></mrow></msup></math></span> were grown by the vertical Bridgman technique. The emission of the samples was studied under optical and X-ray excitation. It is shown by photoluminescence decay studies that Tl<span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mtext>+</mtext></mrow></msup></math></span> works as a sensitiser for Sm<span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mtext>2+</mtext></mrow></msup></math></span>. The samples indicate the formation of multiple (at least 5) different Sm<span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mtext>2+</mtext></mrow></msup></math></span> emission sites. Annealing the samples changes their emission intensity and scintillation properties. NaI:Sm<span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mtext>2+</mtext></mrow></msup></math></span> shows great similarities with its Eu<span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mtext>2+</mtext></mrow></msup></math></span>-doped counterpart. Finally, it is demonstrated that NaI:Sm<span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mtext>2+</mtext></mrow></msup></math></span> can be read out with silicon photomultipliers and an energy resolution of 11% has been attained.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":19564,"journal":{"name":"Optical Materials","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925346724012771/pdfft?md5=7d5d3a0e39244ff31f993a830402313e&pid=1-s2.0-S0925346724012771-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Optical Materials","FirstCategoryId":"88","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925346724012771","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
NaI is the most commonly used host lattice for scintillators, which makes it interesting to further improve its scintillation properties. Many alternative activators have been tried instead of the conventionally used Tl. In this work, Sm is used as an near-infrared emitting activator for NaI to study whether it is suitable for readout with silicon based photodetectors. NaI single crystals (co-)doped with 0-0.2% Tl and 0.2%–2% Sm were grown by the vertical Bridgman technique. The emission of the samples was studied under optical and X-ray excitation. It is shown by photoluminescence decay studies that Tl works as a sensitiser for Sm. The samples indicate the formation of multiple (at least 5) different Sm emission sites. Annealing the samples changes their emission intensity and scintillation properties. NaI:Sm shows great similarities with its Eu-doped counterpart. Finally, it is demonstrated that NaI:Sm can be read out with silicon photomultipliers and an energy resolution of 11% has been attained.
期刊介绍:
Optical Materials has an open access mirror journal Optical Materials: X, sharing the same aims and scope, editorial team, submission system and rigorous peer review.
The purpose of Optical Materials is to provide a means of communication and technology transfer between researchers who are interested in materials for potential device applications. The journal publishes original papers and review articles on the design, synthesis, characterisation and applications of optical materials.
OPTICAL MATERIALS focuses on:
• Optical Properties of Material Systems;
• The Materials Aspects of Optical Phenomena;
• The Materials Aspects of Devices and Applications.
Authors can submit separate research elements describing their data to Data in Brief and methods to Methods X.