CsI(Tl)闪烁晶体研究进展

CsI(Tl)闪烁晶体光产额高于BGO晶体4倍多,辐照长度较NaI(Tl)晶体短,机械性能好,是一种优良实用的闪烁晶体材料.CsI(Tl)晶体的发光中心包括激活剂发光中心[Tl(Ⅰ)和Tl(Ⅱ)]和辐照诱导缺陷发光中心.CsI(Tl)晶体的发射谱峰值位于550nm,能与硅光二极管配合组成性能优良的探测器,广泛应用于核技术和高能物理等领域.目前主要采用坩埚下降法和连续加料法生长.本文综述了CsI(Tl)闪烁晶体的生长、缺陷、闪烁性能及其应用领域的研究与发展趋势.     

Ce∶GAGG与CsI(Tl)闪烁晶体性能对比研究

研究了不同反射层封装方式和与Si-PM不同耦合方式对Ce∶GAGG和CsI(Tl)闪烁晶体光输出和能量分辨率的影响,比较了Ce∶GAGG和CsI(Tl)闪烁晶体的透过率和衰减时间。实验结果表明:通过优化闪烁晶体的反射层材料和耦合方式,能大幅度提高Ce∶GAGG和CsI(Tl)闪烁晶体的光收集效率;Ce∶GAGG闪烁晶体的光输出、能量分辨率、透过率、衰减时间指标均优于CsI(Tl)闪烁晶体。Ce∶GAGG闪烁晶体使用TiO₂反射层材料封装和硅脂耦合,测试得到¹³⁷Cs放射源在662 keV最佳能量分辨率为4.89%。     

φ300mm碘化铯晶体发光非均匀性与生长界面的关系

报道了迄今为止国内首次生长出的最大直径(300 mm)碘化铯CsI(Tl)闪烁晶体,并采用X射线和137Cs所发射的-射线为激发源分别测试了该晶体不同部位的发光强度,分析了这些部位的铊离子浓度,并对发光强度与铊离子浓度及其空间关系进行了讨论,认为该晶体在水平面上的发光不均匀性反映出生长界面具有凸向上的特征,进而提出调节温度场对改善均匀性具有重要作用.     

CaF2∶Dy的热释光特性研究

经测量与分析得出,CaF2∶Dy受X射线辐照后在25～290K及300～670K范围内有76、84、137、170、349、363、388、414、437、465K等热释光(TL)峰,各峰均含4个窄发光带,其中心波长分别为480、575、675及775nm。由X射线激发导致的辐射致发光(RL)谱中除上述4个窄带外在较短波长处还有宽带出现。由对发光曲线的分析中得出的动力学参数值推测,窄带发光可能是由较为邻近的空穴-Dy2+贯穿势垒复合而形成,而宽带则可能是激子或自俘激子发光。380K以下的TL峰在室温下很不稳定,可见光对上述各TL发光都有衰减作用。     

CsI-LiCl共晶材料的坩埚下降法生长与闪烁性能研究

本文采用坩埚下降法,在真空密封的石英坩埚中成功生长出CsI-LiCl与CsI-LiCl:Na共晶闪烁体。通过扫描电子显微镜(SEM)观察晶体微结构表明该共晶中LiCl相与CsI相存在周期性的层状排列,CsI相的厚度在5 μm左右。共晶样品的X射线激发发射谱显示在CsI-LiCl和CsI-LiCl:Na共晶样品存在缺陷发光,在CsI-LiCl样品中还观察到了纯CsI的自陷激子(STE)发光。CsI-LiCl样品在α粒子激发下的多道能谱中观察到明显的全能峰,这一结果证明CsI-LiCl共晶可用于热中子探测的潜力。     

坩埚下降法生长钨酸镉晶体的闪烁性能

以高温固相反应合成CdWO4多晶为原料,采用垂直坩埚下降法生长出大尺寸完整CdWO4晶体,就所生长CdWO4晶体进行了闪烁发光性能的测试表征,包括紫外可见透射光谱、光致发光光谱、光致发射衰减时间、X射线激发发射光谱、相对光产额以及γ射线辐照硬度.结果表明,该单晶在可见光区具有良好的光学透过性,其光致发光与X射线激发发射光的峰值波长位于475 nm左右,其光致发射衰减时间为842 ns;以CsI∶Tl晶体为基准样品,测得γ射线激发发光的光产额相当于基准样品的51.5％～57.4％,在γ射线辐照条件下其辐照硬度达107 rad.     

Li掺杂浓度对NaI∶Tl,Li晶体光学和闪烁性能的影响

具有中子-伽马双模探测能力的卤化物闪烁晶体在辐射探测领域展现出广阔的应用前景。本文使用布里奇曼法生长得到高光学质量的NaI∶Tl和NaI∶Tl, Li闪烁晶体，并系统研究了不同Li浓度掺杂NaI∶Tl晶体的光致激发和发射光谱、时间分辨光致发光曲线、X射线辐照发光光谱、伽马射线激发能谱，以及中子-伽马甄别性能。研究表明，NaI∶Tl晶体和NaI∶Tl, Li晶体在X射线激发下的发光峰位于345和410 nm,均来源于Tl⁺的sp-s²跃迁发光。随着Li浓度的增加，晶体的光产额由41 000 photons/MeV下降到23 000 photons/MeV,662 keV处的能量分辨率由7.0%劣化到9.6%。1%Li(原子数分数)掺杂的NaI∶Tl晶体具有最优的中子-伽马脉冲形状甄别(PSD)性能，品质因子(FoM)值达到4.56。     

CdLa2(WO4)4晶体的生长及发光性能的研究

以高温固相法成功合成了CdLa2(WO4)4多晶料,采用垂直坩埚下降法进行了晶体的生长.CdLa2(WO4)4晶体属于四方晶系白钨矿结构,其晶胞参数为:a=b=5.209 ?,c=11.325 ?,晶胞的体积为307.26 ?3,其密度为7. 494 g/cm3.在室温下测量了晶体的光致发光光谱、X射线激发发射光谱、光致发射衰减时间等.结果表明:在296 nm紫外光的激发下,样品在350~600 nm范围内具有宽阔的蓝绿发光带,发射峰的峰值为470 nm.并且其光致发射衰减时间为3.4 ns,在X射线激发下也有良好的发光性能.     

CaF2：Dy的热释光特性研究

经测量与分析得出，CaF2:Dy受X射线辐照后在25－290K及300－670K范围内有76，84，137，170，349，363，388，414，437。465K等热释光（TL）峰，各峰均含4个窄发光带，其中心波长分别为480，575，675。及775nm，由X射线激发导致的辐射致发光（PL）谱中除上述4个窄带外在较短波长处处还有宽带出现，由对发光曲线的分析中得出的动力学参数值推测，窄带发光可能是由较为邻近的空穴－Dy^2 贯穿势垒复合而形成，而宽带则可能是激子或自俘激子发光，380K以下的TL峰在室温下很不稳定，可见光对上述各TL发光都有衰减作用。     

水热法ZnO晶体特征研究

ZnO具有优良的综合性能使其成为极有前途的下一代光电材料,水热法是一种重要的生长ZnO晶体的方法.本文对水热法生长的面积约150mm2的ZnO晶体进行了报道,研究了晶体不同方向的生长速度、形貌特征和光学性能.X射线摇摆曲线表明晶体的质量较好.对于光学性质的分析表明晶体生长时加入H2O2能显著提高晶体的质量.494nm附近的发光带可能与氧空位有关.520nm的发光可能与Na或者Si所形成的杂质能级跃迁有关.     

Kinetics of luminescence of CsI single crystals scavenged by Y3+

CsI single crystals were grown from the melt scavenged by Y³⁺ (YCl₃) addition in 6.7·10⁻⁴–6.7·10⁻³ mol·kg⁻¹ range. The addition of the scavenger amounts comparable with the total concentration of the oxygen‐containing admixtures in molten CsI results in complete destruction of the latter. Because of this, the intensity of the band with a maximum at 2.8 eV in radioluminescence spectra caused by the oxygen‐containing admixtures (anion vacancies) considerably decreases, and the fraction of the slow 2μs‐component corresponding to these admixtures becomes lower than 0.01 (0.007). The addition of larger quantities of YCl₃ leads to the appearance of a wide band with a maximum at 2.8 eV caused by cation vacancies, and the intensity of the slow 2μs‐component increases to 0.02. The maximum ratio of two faster components with the decay constants equal to 7 and 30 ns reaches 0.65:0.33 at Y³⁺ concentration in CsI melt equal to 6.7·10^‐3 mol·kg^‐1, the effective luminescence time of fastest components is ca 14 ns. The dependence of the ‘Fast/Total ratio’ on Y³⁺ concentration passes through its maximum (0.81) corresponding to the equivalence of Y³⁺ and O²⁻ concentrations in the growth CsI melt.     

Luminescent properties of CsI single crystals grown from the melt treated with EuI2

CsI single crystals treated with EuI₂ as a scavenger are grown and their radioluminescence spectra and scintillation light decay curves are obtained. Addition of the quantities of the scavenger comparable with the total concentration of the oxygen‐containing admixtures in the melt results in complete destruction of the latter. In its turn, this causes the disappearance of the band with a maximum at 2.8 eV in the radioluminescence spectrum and decreases the fraction of the slow 2 µs‐component to 0.01. The addition of larger quantities of EuI₂ leads to the appearance of a wide band with the maximum at 2.8 eV characterized by a decay constant of 2 µs; its intensity increases with the EuI₂ concentration. The maximum ratio of two faster components with the decay constants equal to 7 and 30 ns approaches 0.58:0.41 at EuI₂ concentration in CsI melt equal to 0.01 mol·kg⁻¹.     

Pulling CsI(Na) single crystals from melt by continuous method without plastic deformation

It is established that bromine impurity in CsI(Na) crystals not only facilitates the homogeneous incorporation of an activator into the lattice and prevents complex activator clusters from forming, but it also significantly hinders (at certain concentrations) the action of the primary and secondary dislocation slip systems. It is shown that the automatic pulling of large CsI-based crystals can be provided by the introduction of a single Br impurity into the charge; this impurity, to a large extent, strengthens only the top part of the crystal. The absence of plastic deformation in CsI-CsBr(Na) crystals with a diameter Ø300 mm and height h = 600 mm (grown by the continuous method) and Ø500 mm and h = 200 mm (grown by the automatic Kiropulos method) has been experimentally confirmed.     

Optical properties of Pr3+ in selenide glasses modified with CsI

Effects of CsI content on the optical properties of Ge₃₀Ga₅Sb₅Se₆₀ glasses were evaluated. Linear and non-linear absorption properties of the glasses without Pr³⁺ were examined in addition to 1.6 μm emission properties of the Pr-doped glasses. Blueshift of the UV-side absorption edge was accompanied with increasing CsI concentration, while non-linear absorption coefficients measured at 1.06 μm by the Z-scan method remained unaffected. Measured lifetimes of the 1.6 μm emission from modified glasses were comparable to those of the unmodified glass. These experimental observations are discussed in connection with a pronounced weak absorption tail appeared in selenide glasses with the addition of CsI.     

Excitation intensity and temperature‐dependent photoluminescence and optical absorption in Tl4Ga3InSe8 layered crystals

Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of Tl₄Ga₃InSe₈ layered crystals grown by Bridgman method have been studied in the wavelength region of 600‐750 nm and in the temperature range of 17‐68 K. A broad PL band centered at 652 nm (1.90 eV) was observed at T = 17 K. Variations of emission band has been studied as a function of excitation laser intensity in the 0.13 to 55.73 mW cm^‐2 range. Radiative transitions from donor level located at 0.19 eV below the bottom of conduction band to shallow acceptor level located at 0.03 eV above the top of the valence band were suggested to be responsible for the observed PL band. From X‐ray powder diffraction and optical absorption study, the parameters of monoclinic unit cell and the energy of indirect band gap were determined, respectively. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Observation of a new photoluminescence band at 320 nm under 270 nm excitation in Ge-doped silica glass

We investigate the influence of temperature on photoluminescence (PL) in Ge-doped silica glass. Under 270 nm excitation, we observe only one PL band at 424 nm at room temperature (RT). This band shifts to 436 nm with cooling (4 K), and a new PL band is recorded at 320 nm. We assign these PL bands to triplet-to-singlet and singlet-to-singlet transitions of a same Ge-related defect, whose structure is still unknown. The shift of the PL band (from 424 nm at RT to 436 nm at 4 K) is explained by the decrease of the overlap between PLs from different centers.     

Growth and characterization of undoped and thallium doped cesium iodide single crystals

Single crystals of pure and thallium (Tl) doped cesium iodide (CsI) have been grown by melt growth (Bridgman) technique. The grown crystals were subjected to powder X-ray diffraction and high-resolution XRD analysis. The cut and polished crystals were characterized for luminescence studies. UV-visible transmission studies have been carried out on the grown crystal in the wavelength range 200–650 nm. From the transmission spectrum it was found that the cut off wavelength increases with increase in Tl concentration and the transmittance is about 70%. The 0.06 mol% of Tl doped CsI crystal shows a good energy resolution of 7.6%. The hardness decreases for increasing the doping concentration. Etching studies have been carried out on doped and undoped crystals using methanol and water as etchant.     

Photoluminescence Spectra of GaS0.75Se0.25 Layered Single Crystals

Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of GaS_0.75Se_0.25 layered single crystals have been studied in the wavelength region of 500‐850 nm and in the temperature range of 10‐200 K. Two PL bands centered at 527 ( 2.353 eV, A‐band) and 658 nm (1.884 eV, B‐band) were observed at T = 10 K. Variations of both bands have been studied as a function of excitation laser intensity in the range from 8 × 10^‐3 to 10.7 W cm^‐2. These bands are attributed to recombination of charge carriers through donor‐acceptor pairs located in the band gap. Radiative transitions from shallow donor levels located 0.043 and 0.064 eV below the bottom of conduction band to acceptor levels located 0.088 and 0.536 eV above the top of the valence band are suggested to be responsible for the observed A‐ and B‐bands in the PL spectra, respectively.