Scintillation properties of transparent ceramics for Nd doped (YGd2)(Sc2Al2Ga)O12

1, 3, and 6 mol% Nd3+ doped (YGd2)(Sc2Al2Ga)O12 transparent ceramic garnets were fabricated by the sintering to investigate their optical and scintillation properties. They were all visibly purplish and exhibited 80% transparency in wavelength longer than 300 nm with several absorption bands due to Nd3+ and Gd3+ 4f–4f transitions. In photo- and radio-luminescence spectra, they showed intense emission peaks at 383 and 416 nm. Photoluminescence decay time of the former resulted ∼500 μs and those of the latter 400 and 900 ns, respectively. Scintillation light yield was examined by using 241Am 5.5 MeV α-ray and the light yield resulted ∼200 photons/5.5 MeV α in Nd 1 mol% doped sample.

► Transparent ceramic Nd 1, 3, and 6 mol% doped Nd:(GdY)(AlScGa)G are fabricated.
► Optical properties of transparent ceramic Nd:(GdY)(AlScGa)G are reported.
► Scintillation properties of transparent ceramic Nd:(GdY)(AlScGa)G are studied.