On fast LuAG:Ce scintillation ceramics with Ca ²⁺ co‐dopants

Abstract

Abstract “Defect engineering” was a valid strategy to modify the performance of LuAG:Ce scintillator, usually realized by Me 2+ /Me + co‐doping. To investigate the effects of Ca 2+ co‐doping on the scintillation properties of LuAG:Ce, a set of LuAG:Ce ceramics with Ca 2+ concentrations ranging from 0 to 0.5 at.% were manufactured. The absorption spectra, radioluminescence spectra (RL spectra), light yield, RL spectra as a function of temperature, decay time, and TSL curves of the ceramic products were carefully measured. With Ca 2+ co‐doping, the scintillation performance of LuAG:Ce ceramics was greatly improved. Especially for the 0.2 at.% Ca 2+ co‐doped one, it has a high light yield value of 24, 400 ph/MeV, a fast scintillation decay time of 48 ns, and a small slow component contamination. And the role of Ca 2+ in the scintillation mechanism of LuAG:Ce ceramics was also discussed in this paper.