Effect of Mg2+ ions co-doping on luminescence and defects formation processes in Gd3(Ga,Al)5O12:Ce single crystals

Date
2017
Authors
Babin, V.
Boháček, Pavel
Grigorjeva, Larisa
Kucera, Miroslav
Nikl, M.
Zazubovich, S.
Zolotarjovs, Aleksejs
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier B.V.
Abstract
Photo- and radioluminescence and thermally stimulated luminescence characteristics of Ce³⁺ - doped and Ce³⁺, Mg²⁺ co-doped Gd3(Ga,Al)5O12 (GAGG) single crystals of similar composition are investigated in the 9–500 K temperature range. The Ce³⁺ - related luminescence spectra and the photoluminescence decay kinetics in these crystals are found to be similar. Under photoexcitation in the Ce³⁺ - and Gd³⁺ - related absorption bands, no prominent rise of the photoluminescence intensity in time is observed neither in GAGG:Ce,Mg nor in GAGG:Ce crystals. The afterglow is strongly reduced in GAGG:Ce,Mg as compared to GAGG:Ce, and the afterglow decay kinetics is much faster. Co-doping with Mg²⁺ results in a drastic decrease of the thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) intensity in the whole investigated temperature range and in the appearance of a new complex Mg²⁺ - related TSL glow curve peak around 285 K. After irradiation in the Ce³⁺ - related 3.6 eV absorption band, the TSL intensity in GAGG:Ce,Mg is found to be comparable with that in the GAGG:Ce epitaxial film of similar composition. The Mg²⁺ - induced changes in the concentration, origin and structure of the crystal lattice defects and their influence on the scintillation characteristics of GAGG:Ce,Mg are discussed.
Description
The work was supported by the Institutional Research Funding IUT02-26 of the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research and the project 16-15569S of the Czech Science Foundation.
Keywords
Research Subject Categories::NATURAL SCIENCES:Physics , Luminescence , Multicomponent garnets , Single crystals , Ce3+ , Mg2+ , Scintillators
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