Study on Irradiation Damage of Bi-Doped PbWO4 Crystal

The luminescence and point defects of pure lead tungstate crystals (PbWO₄) and Bismuth (Bi) doping crystal (PbWO₄:Bi)grown by modified Bridgman method are studied. It is found that irradiation results in the great change of the transmission and X-ray excited emission after γ-ray irradiation about 4 Mrad dose. The defects in PbWO₄ crystal have been studied by means of positron annihilation lifetime and X-ray photoelectron spectra. The results show that Bi dopant suppresses the concentrations of positron capture centers and low-valent oxygen ions.After γ-ray irradiation,in the pure crystal the concentration of lead vacancy (V_Pb) is decreased and that of low-valent oxygen increased; on the contrary,in Bi dopant crystal the concentrations of positron capture centers increased and that of low-valent oxygen ions suppressed. It is tentatively proposed that Bi³⁺ dopants would mainly occupy the sites of lead vacancies resulted from Pb volatilization. And irradiation changes the chemical valence of Bi element,which is Bi³⁺→Bi⁵⁺.The Bi⁵⁺ will replace the lattice W⁶⁺ ions and it will cause some (WO₄)^2－ replaced by (BiO₃+V_O)^－.