Fabrication and characterization of Eu3+-doped Lu2O3 scintillation ceramics

• Published in: Optical materials 2013-02, Vol.35 (4), p.812-816
• Main Authors: Kopylov, Yu.L., Kravchenko, V.B., Dulina, N.A., Lopin, А.V., Parkhomenko, S.V., Tolmachev, A.V., Yavetskiy, R.P., Zelenskaya, O.V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ceramics; Densification; Density; Grain size; Luminescence; Lutetium oxide; Photons; Scintillation; Scintillator; Transmittance; Transparent ceramics; Vacuum sintering
• ISSN: 0925-3467; 1873-1252
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optmat.2012.04.020

► Translucent Lu2O3:Eu3+ ceramics has been prepared by vacuum sintering of nanopowders. ► Europium ions act as a solid-state sintering aid in Lu2O3 ceramics. ► Europium-doped Lu2O3 ceramics has higher transmittance compared to undoped ones. ► Scintillation characteristic of Lu2O3:Eu3+ ceramics have been determined. Density, morphology, optical transmittance and luminescence of undoped and europium-doped Lu2O3 ceramics have been studied. It has been revealed that europium ions in concentration of 5at.% act as a solid-state sintering aids in Lu2O3 ceramics promoting its densification. Lu2O3:Eu3+ optical ceramics with relative density of 98±2%, with an average grain size of 50μm and in-line transmittance of 41% in the visible wavelength range has been produced by vacuum sintering at Т=1850°С. The scintillation characteristics of Lu2O3:Eu3+ ceramics under excitation with α-particles (238Рu source, E=5.46МeV) have been determined for the first time (S=500±50photons/МeV, R=26.5%).