Structural and optical properties of Nd- and Tb-doped BaY2F8

• Published in: Optical materials Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 184 - 187
• Main Authors: Valerio, Mário E.G., Ribeiro, Viviane G., de Mello, Ana C.S., dos Santos, Marcos A.C., Baldochi, Sonia L., Mazzocchi, Vera L., Parente, Carlos B.R., Jackson, Robert A., Amaral, Jomar B.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-09-2007; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: BaY2F8; Computer modelling; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Experimental methods and instrumentation for elementary-particle and nuclear physics; Nuclear physics; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Other luminescence and radiative recombination; Other solid inorganic materials; Photoluminescence; Physics; PL spectra; Radiation detectors, dosimeters; Rare-earth doping; Scintillation detectors; Scintillator; Computer modelling; Scintillator; 78.60.Ya; BaY2F8; PL spectra; 78.55.−m; Rare-earth doping; 78.20.Bh; Terbium additions; Photoluminescence; XRD; Sensor materials; Yttrium fluorides; Rare earths; Ambient temperature; Neodymium additions; Optical properties; Excitation spectrum; 78.55.-m; Powders; Radiation detectors; Ternary compounds; Doped materials; Barium fluorides; Rare earth additions; Radioluminescence; Codoping; 78.20.Bh BaY2F8
• ISSN: 0925-3467; 1873-1252
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optmat.2006.11.037

In the present work, we report the optical properties of rare-earth doped BaY2F8 and its potential use as a scintillator in radiation detection. The samples were synthesized and grown by the zone melting method under a HF flow. X-ray powder diffraction was performed and quantitative phase analysis was done using the Rietveld method. Emission and excitation spectra of the doped samples were measured at room temperature. The identification of the transitions was done comparing the excitation and emission peaks with the results obtained from computer modelling. The scintillator properties of the pure and doped samples were checked by measuring the radioluminescence of the sample when excited with different types of radiation, revealing that these materials are promising radiation detectors.