Dy3+-doped Li2O−Gd2O3 −ZrO2−P2O5 glass: Scintillation behaviors and synchrotron X-ray imaging application

Abstract

In this study, phosphate glass scintillators doped with varying concentrations of Dy₂O₃ were synthesized using the melt-quenching technique, aiming to develop high-performance scintillation materials for synchrotron X-ray imaging applications. The physical, structural, optical, luminescence and scintillation properties of the Dy:LiGdZrP glass samples were systematically investigated. This study found a gradual increase in the density, refractive index of glass samples with higher amounts of Dy₂O₃ doping. Distinct absorption peaks observed in the UV–Vis–NIR spectra confirm the incorporation of Dy³⁺ ions into the glass matrix. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra exhibited sharp emission peaks at 483 nm, 574 nm, 664 nm, and 753 nm, attributed to Dy³⁺ transitions. Among the samples, 1.00Dy:LiGdZrP showed the highest PL intensity, whereas the 0.50Dy:LiGdZrP glass demonstrated the strongest radioluminescence (RL) response. The Dy:LiGdZrP glasses exhibited millisecond-scale decay times, and the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of the 0.10Dy:LiGdZrP sample reached 34.01 %. Energy transfer studies confirmed efficient transfer from Gd³⁺ to Dy³⁺ ions. A reduction in the photoluminescence (PL) emission intensity of Gd³⁺ ions at 311 nm was observed alongside an increase in Dy³⁺ emission, indicating effective energy transfer from Gd³⁺ to Dy³⁺ ions. Additional evidence for this energy transfer mechanism was provided through decay time analysis (λ_Ex = 275 nm and λ_Em = 311 nm), which achieved the highest energy transfer efficiency of 79.77 % when the Dy₂O₃ concentration was 2.00 mol%. The integrated scintillation efficiency of the 0.50Dy:LiGdZrP sample reached approximately 11.21 % of that of a BGO crystal. Moreover, X-ray imaging assessments performed on the 0.50Dy:LiGdZrP sample yielded a spatial resolution of 10 lp/mm, emphasizing its viability as a promising material for high-resolution synchrotron-based X-ray imaging application.