Spectral and Cathodoluminescence Decay Characteristics of the Ba[sub.1−x]Ce[sub.x]F[sub.2+x] Solid Solution Synthesized by Precipitation from Aqueous Solutions and Fusion

• Published in: Photonics 2023-09, Vol.10 (9)
• Main Authors: Kuznetsov, Sergey V, Yasyrkina, Darya S, Valiev, Damir T, Stepanov, Sergey A, Alexandrov, Alexander A, Batygov, Sergey Kh, Voronov, Valeriy V, Konyushkin, Vasilii A, Nakladov, Andrey N, Ermakova, Julia A, Fedorov, Pavel P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2304-6732
• DOI: 10.3390/photonics10091057

Single-phase samples of the Ba[sub.1−x]Ce[sub.x]F[sub.2+x] solid solution (x = 0.3–0.4) were synthesized by directional crystallization in the form of single crystals and by co-precipitation from aqueous nitrate solutions using potassium fluoride as a fluorinating agent in the form of nanopowders. The cathodoluminescence of the pressed powder samples was studied in comparison with the BaF[sub.2]: Ce single crystals in 250–460 nm (2.7–5 eV) spectral range upon excitation by an electron accelerator. The cathodoluminescence spectra of the samples revealed a wide band in the range of 3.0–4.0 eV, which consists of two typical components of Ce[sup.3+] with decay time 23 ns in the case of single crystals and three decay times 27 ns, 140–170 ns, and ~600 ns in the case of pressed powders. The decay time of the short-wavelength component (27 ns) in the case of pressed powders is close to the lifetime of the excited state of the Ce[sup.3+] ion. The developed X-ray phosphors can be applied for embedding in diamonds for diamond–nanoparticle composite preparation.