A neutron scintillator based on transparent nanocrystalline CaF2:Eu glass ceramic

Christian Struebing; Joo Yun Chong; Gyuhyon Lee; Martin Zavala; Anna Erickson; Yong Ding; Cai Lin Wang; Yacouba Diawara; Ralf Engels; Brent Wagner; Zhitao Kang

doi:10.1063/1.4945999

A neutron scintillator based on transparent nanocrystalline CaF₂:Eu glass ceramic

Christian Struebing, Joo Yun Chong, Gyuhyon Lee, Martin Zavala, Anna Erickson, Yong Ding, Cai Lin Wang, Yacouba Diawara, Ralf Engels, Brent Wagner, Zhitao Kang

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Abstract

There are no efficient Eu²⁺ doped glass neutron scintillators reported due to low doping concentrations of Eu²⁺ and the amorphous nature of the glass matrix. In this work, an efficient CaF₂:Eu glass ceramic neutron scintillator was prepared by forming CaF₂:Eu nanocrystals in a ⁶Li-containing glass matrix. Through appropriate thermal treatments, the scintillation light yield of the transparent glass ceramic was increased by a factor of at least 46 compared to the as-cast amorphous glass. This improvement was attributed to more efficient energy transfer from the CaF₂ crystals to the Eu²⁺ emitting centers. Further light yield improvement is expected if the refractive index of the glass matrix can be matched to the CaF₂ crystal.

Original language	English
Article number	153106
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	108
Issue number	15
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4945999
State	Published - Apr 11 2016

Funding

This work was financially supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under Grant Award No. 2014-DN-077-ARI085-01. Supports from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH are also acknowledged.

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abstract = "There are no efficient Eu2+ doped glass neutron scintillators reported due to low doping concentrations of Eu2+ and the amorphous nature of the glass matrix. In this work, an efficient CaF2:Eu glass ceramic neutron scintillator was prepared by forming CaF2:Eu nanocrystals in a 6Li-containing glass matrix. Through appropriate thermal treatments, the scintillation light yield of the transparent glass ceramic was increased by a factor of at least 46 compared to the as-cast amorphous glass. This improvement was attributed to more efficient energy transfer from the CaF2 crystals to the Eu2+ emitting centers. Further light yield improvement is expected if the refractive index of the glass matrix can be matched to the CaF2 crystal.",

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AU - Struebing, Christian

AU - Chong, Joo Yun

AU - Lee, Gyuhyon

AU - Zavala, Martin

AU - Erickson, Anna

AU - Ding, Yong

AU - Wang, Cai Lin

AU - Diawara, Yacouba

AU - Engels, Ralf

AU - Wagner, Brent

AU - Kang, Zhitao

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A neutron scintillator based on transparent nanocrystalline CaF₂:Eu glass ceramic

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