Cerium-doped mixed-alkali rare-earth double-phosphate scintillators for thermal neutron detection

John S. Neal; Lynn A. Boatner; Merry Spurrier; Piotr Szupryczynski; Charles L. Melcher

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2007.04.005

Cerium-doped mixed-alkali rare-earth double-phosphate scintillators for thermal neutron detection

John S. Neal, Lynn A. Boatner, Merry Spurrier, Piotr Szupryczynski, Charles L. Melcher

Isotope Applications Research

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

Previous measurements of the scintillation properties of members of the single-alkali, rare-earth double-phosphate family have demonstrated high light output and fast decay times when exposed to ionizing radiation. Because of the ease with which the alkali constituents (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) of the crystal matrix may be interchanged (e.g. K₂CsLu(PO₄)₂ and CsLi₂Lu(PO₄)₂), the rare-earth double-phosphate family of scintillators provides an ideal system for the study of matrix effects on scintillation efficiency and kinetics. New members of the rare-earth double-phosphate family have been synthesized by high-temperature flux growth. These new samples, represented by the general formula (A,B)₃Lu(PO₄)₂:Ce where A and B are alkali elements, incorporate lithium as one of the components and varying levels of Ce doping. Characteristics important to gamma-ray and thermal neutron excitation are calculated for three model systems which incorporate total lithium-ion substitution. Light output, scintillation decay times, and photoluminescence measurements for the most promising of the samples to date are reported. Future work includes (1) synthesis of mixed-alkali scandium and yttrium double-phosphates in which Li ions are substitutional in the structure with varying lithium-ion content up to and including total lithium-ion substitution on the alkali ion site and (2) measurements of light output and pulse shape using thermal neutron excitation.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	19-22
Number of pages	4
Journal	Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume	579
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2007.04.005
State	Published - Aug 21 2007

Funding

Research carried out in the Center for Radiation Detection Materials and Systems at ORNL was supported by the NNSA Office of Nonproliferation Research and Engineering (NA-22) and the USDOE. ORNL is operated by UT-Battelle, LLC for the US Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725.

Funders	Funder number
NNSA Office of Nonproliferation Research and Engineering	NA-22
US Department of Energy
U.S. Department of Energy

Keywords

Cerium activation
Neutron detection
Phosphates
Scintillators

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10.1016/j.nima.2007.04.005

Cite this

Neal, J. S., Boatner, L. A., Spurrier, M., Szupryczynski, P., & Melcher, C. L. (2007). Cerium-doped mixed-alkali rare-earth double-phosphate scintillators for thermal neutron detection. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 579(1), 19-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2007.04.005

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title = "Cerium-doped mixed-alkali rare-earth double-phosphate scintillators for thermal neutron detection",

abstract = "Previous measurements of the scintillation properties of members of the single-alkali, rare-earth double-phosphate family have demonstrated high light output and fast decay times when exposed to ionizing radiation. Because of the ease with which the alkali constituents (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) of the crystal matrix may be interchanged (e.g. K2CsLu(PO4)2 and CsLi2Lu(PO4)2), the rare-earth double-phosphate family of scintillators provides an ideal system for the study of matrix effects on scintillation efficiency and kinetics. New members of the rare-earth double-phosphate family have been synthesized by high-temperature flux growth. These new samples, represented by the general formula (A,B)3Lu(PO4)2:Ce where A and B are alkali elements, incorporate lithium as one of the components and varying levels of Ce doping. Characteristics important to gamma-ray and thermal neutron excitation are calculated for three model systems which incorporate total lithium-ion substitution. Light output, scintillation decay times, and photoluminescence measurements for the most promising of the samples to date are reported. Future work includes (1) synthesis of mixed-alkali scandium and yttrium double-phosphates in which Li ions are substitutional in the structure with varying lithium-ion content up to and including total lithium-ion substitution on the alkali ion site and (2) measurements of light output and pulse shape using thermal neutron excitation.",

keywords = "Cerium activation, Neutron detection, Phosphates, Scintillators",

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Neal, JS, Boatner, LA, Spurrier, M, Szupryczynski, P & Melcher, CL 2007, 'Cerium-doped mixed-alkali rare-earth double-phosphate scintillators for thermal neutron detection', Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, vol. 579, no. 1, pp. 19-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2007.04.005

Cerium-doped mixed-alkali rare-earth double-phosphate scintillators for thermal neutron detection. / Neal, John S.; Boatner, Lynn A.; Spurrier, Merry et al.
In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 579, No. 1, 21.08.2007, p. 19-22.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Cerium-doped mixed-alkali rare-earth double-phosphate scintillators for thermal neutron detection

AU - Neal, John S.

AU - Boatner, Lynn A.

AU - Spurrier, Merry

AU - Szupryczynski, Piotr

AU - Melcher, Charles L.

PY - 2007/8/21

Y1 - 2007/8/21

N2 - Previous measurements of the scintillation properties of members of the single-alkali, rare-earth double-phosphate family have demonstrated high light output and fast decay times when exposed to ionizing radiation. Because of the ease with which the alkali constituents (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) of the crystal matrix may be interchanged (e.g. K2CsLu(PO4)2 and CsLi2Lu(PO4)2), the rare-earth double-phosphate family of scintillators provides an ideal system for the study of matrix effects on scintillation efficiency and kinetics. New members of the rare-earth double-phosphate family have been synthesized by high-temperature flux growth. These new samples, represented by the general formula (A,B)3Lu(PO4)2:Ce where A and B are alkali elements, incorporate lithium as one of the components and varying levels of Ce doping. Characteristics important to gamma-ray and thermal neutron excitation are calculated for three model systems which incorporate total lithium-ion substitution. Light output, scintillation decay times, and photoluminescence measurements for the most promising of the samples to date are reported. Future work includes (1) synthesis of mixed-alkali scandium and yttrium double-phosphates in which Li ions are substitutional in the structure with varying lithium-ion content up to and including total lithium-ion substitution on the alkali ion site and (2) measurements of light output and pulse shape using thermal neutron excitation.

AB - Previous measurements of the scintillation properties of members of the single-alkali, rare-earth double-phosphate family have demonstrated high light output and fast decay times when exposed to ionizing radiation. Because of the ease with which the alkali constituents (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) of the crystal matrix may be interchanged (e.g. K2CsLu(PO4)2 and CsLi2Lu(PO4)2), the rare-earth double-phosphate family of scintillators provides an ideal system for the study of matrix effects on scintillation efficiency and kinetics. New members of the rare-earth double-phosphate family have been synthesized by high-temperature flux growth. These new samples, represented by the general formula (A,B)3Lu(PO4)2:Ce where A and B are alkali elements, incorporate lithium as one of the components and varying levels of Ce doping. Characteristics important to gamma-ray and thermal neutron excitation are calculated for three model systems which incorporate total lithium-ion substitution. Light output, scintillation decay times, and photoluminescence measurements for the most promising of the samples to date are reported. Future work includes (1) synthesis of mixed-alkali scandium and yttrium double-phosphates in which Li ions are substitutional in the structure with varying lithium-ion content up to and including total lithium-ion substitution on the alkali ion site and (2) measurements of light output and pulse shape using thermal neutron excitation.

KW - Cerium activation

KW - Neutron detection

KW - Phosphates

KW - Scintillators

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U2 - 10.1016/j.nima.2007.04.005

DO - 10.1016/j.nima.2007.04.005

M3 - Article

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IS - 1

ER -

Cerium-doped mixed-alkali rare-earth double-phosphate scintillators for thermal neutron detection

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Keywords

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