STED properties of Ce 3+ , Tb 3+ , and Eu 3+ doped inorganic scintillators

• Published in: Optics express 2017-01, Vol.25 (2), p.1251
• Main Authors: Alekhin, M S, Renger, J, Kasperczyk, M, Douissard, P-A, Martin, T, Zorenko, Y, Vasil'ev, D A, Stiefel, M, Novotny, L, Stampanoni, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1094-4087; 1094-4087
• DOI: 10.1364/oe.25.001251

Scintillator-based X-ray imaging is a powerful technique for noninvasive real-space microscopic structural investigation such as synchrotron-based computed tomography. The resolution of an optical image formed by scintillation emission is fundamentally diffraction limited. To overcome this limit, stimulated scintillation emission depletion (SSED) X-ray imaging, based on stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, has been recently developed. This technique imposes new requirements on the scintillator material: efficient de-excitation by the STED-laser and negligible STED-laser excited luminescence. In this work, luminescence depletion was measured in several commonly-used Ce , Tb , and Eu - doped scintillators using various STED lasers. The depletion of Tb and Eu via 4f-4f transitions was more efficient (P = 8…19 mW) than Ce depletion via 5d-4f transitions (P = 43…45 mW). Main origins of STED-laser excited luminescence were one- and two-photon excitation, and scintillator impurities. LSO:Tb scintillator and a 628 nm cw STED-laser is the most promising combination for SSED satisfying the above-mentioned requirements.