Li3PO4: M (M=Tb, Cu) phosphors for radiation dosimetry

• Published in: Rare metals 2017-09, Vol.36 (9), p.758-763
• Main Authors: Palan, Chetan B., Bajaj, Nikhilesh, Soni, Anuj, Kulkarni, Mukund, Omanwar, Shreeniwas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activation energy; Biomaterials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Cross-sections; Decay rate; Dosimeters; Dosimetry; Electron microscopes; Energy; Luminescence; Materials Engineering; Materials Science; Mathematical analysis; Metallic Materials; Morphology; Nanoscale Science and Technology; Phosphors; Photoionization; Photoluminescence; Physical Chemistry; Scanning electron microscopy; Sensitivity; Thermoluminescence; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 1001-0521; 1867-7185
• DOI: 10.1007/s12598-015-0679-y

The dosimetric phosphors Li 3 PO 4 :M (M = Tb, Cu) were produced by modified solid-state method. The structural and morphological characterization was carried out through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Additionally, the photoluminescence (PL), thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) properties of powder Li 3 PO 4 doped with Tb and Cu were studied. It is advocated that Li 3 PO 4 : Cu phosphor not only shows higher OSL sensitivity (25 times or more) but also gives faster decay in OSL signals than that of Li 3 PO 4 : Tb 3+ phosphor. The minimum detectable dose (MDD) of Li 3 PO 4 :M (M = Tb, Cu) phosphors is found to be 21.69 × 10 −3 and 3.33 × 10 −6  J⋅kg −1 , respectively. In OSL mode, phosphor shows linear dose response in the range of 0.02–20.00 J·kg −1 . In TL mode, sensitivity of Li 3 PO 4 : Cu phosphor is more than that of Li 3 PO 4 : Tb phosphor. The kinetics parameters such as activation energy and frequency factors were determined by peak shape method, and photoionization cross sections of prepared phosphor were calculated.