Development of new Lanthanide Ions doped Silicoborate glasses for Scintillator application

Abstract

In this research, silicoborate glasses doped with lanthanide ions (Ln3+) in composition Gd2O3 – Na2O – SiO2 – B2O3 were prepared by melt-quenching technique. Lanthanide ions Gd3+, Dy3+, Sm3+, Eu3+ and Ce3+ were used at different concentrations in this research. To understand the role of Ln3+ doped in glass, physical, structural, optical, luminescence and scintillation properties were investigated. The result found that Gd3+ doping can enhance photon interactions on glass, which this property is needed for scintillator. Moreover, emission at 311 nm (6P7/2→8S7/2) was observed, which this wavelength can make Gd3+ act as energy transfer (ET) agent to other Ln3+ ions in this research. For Dy3+, Sm3+, Eu3+ and Ce3+ doping shows main emission peak at 575 nm (4F9/2→6H13/2), 600 nm, (4G5/2→6H7/2), 613 nm (5D0→7F2), and 375 nm (5d→4f), respectively. All emissions originated from f-f transition, except Ce3+ originated from fd transition. These transitions allow millisecond decay time for Gd3+, Dy3+, Sm3+, Eu3+, but nanosecond decay time for Ce3+. To study scintillation light by X-rays excitation, it was found scintillation light emission from all developed glasses and emission patterns similar to photoluminescence. These results can confirm that developed glasses are scintillators. In the case of Eu3+ doped glasses can be used for imaging by synchrotron Xrays, with a spatial resolution is 10 lp/mm.