Optically stimulated luminescence and thermoluminescence in some Cu+ doped alkali fluoro-silicates

• Intense TL and OSL in Cu doped Alkali fluorosilicates was observed.
• The OSL sensitivity is comparable to commercial Al2O3:C (Landauer).
• The phosphor possesses fast OSL decay, high sensitivity moderate to high fading.
• These phosphors are more suitable for online radiation dosimetry using OSL.

OSL and TL in some Cu doped alkali fluoro-silicates were studied. These investigations show that the materials possess good OSL properties and the sensitivity is comparable to that of the commercial α-Al2O3:C phosphor. Of the several fluoro-silicate phosphors studied Cu doped Na2SiF6 is found to be highly sensitive. The initial OSL intensity averaged over first second using blue and green light stimulation, were found to be 1.2 and 13.3 times respectively of Al2O3:C. The simple preparation procedure, high OSL sensitivity, fast decay, and high photoionization cross-section will make these phosphors suitable for on-line radiation dosimetry, particularly in medical dosimetry applications.