Thermoluminescent and optical absorption properties of neodymium doped yttrium aluminoborate and yttrium calcium borate glasses

Neodymium doped yttrium aluminoborate and yttrium calcium borate glasses were prepared by the conventional melting-quenching technique with neodymium concentration varying from 0.10 to 1.0 mol%. The obtained glasses present a wide transparency in the UV–visible region (till 240 nm). The thermoluminescent (TL) emission of beta-irradiated samples was measured, showing a broad peak at ∼240 °C with intensities related to the Nd3+ content, for both glasses. Calcium borate glass samples are about one order of magnitude less luminescent than the aluminoborate glasses. Probably the presence of Ca2+, instead of Al3+ and Y3+ in the matrix, inhibits the production of the intrinsic hole centers, connected to boron and oxygen, known in the literature to act as luminescent centers in TL emission of borate glasses. We suggest that Nd3+ ions act as electron trapping centers in both glass matrices, as they modify the temperature of emission and the light intensity. Also, the Nd:YAlB glass can be used as a dosimeter in various applications, including radiotherapy, but the sensitivity of this material to neutron should be checked.