Influence of lead-related centers on luminescence of Ce3+ and Pr3+ centers in single crystalline films of aluminium perovskites and garnets

Luminescence characteristics of Ce3+- and Pr3+-doped aluminium perovskite (LuAlO3, YAlO3) and garnet (Lu3Al5O12, Y3Al5O12) single crystalline films, prepared by the liquid phase epitaxy method with the use of the PbO-based flux, were investigated by the time-resolved spectroscopy methods in the 80–300 K temperature range. The influence of various lead-related centers on the characteristics of the Ce3+- and Pr3+-related luminescence centers was studied. It was found that the presence of lead-related centers in the single crystalline films results in a decrease of the quantum efficiency and appearance of undesirable slow components in the luminescence decay kinetics. The possibilities of improving the scintillation characteristics of the single crystalline films were considered.