Stimulated recovery of the optical transmission of PbWO4 scintillation crystals for electromagnetic calorimeters after radiation damage

In this paper we describe the phenomenon of the stimulated recovery of radiation damage in lead tungstate scintillation crystals achieved via illumination by visible and infrared light. It allows fast and efficient in-situ recovery of the optical transmission either during beam-off periods or on-line during data accumulation. The application can substantially improve or extend the running period of the experiment by keeping the damage at a tolerable level.