Effect of Mg co-doping on cathodoluminescence properties of LuGAGG:Ce single crystalline garnet films

Mg2+ co-doped (LuGd)3(GaAl)5O12:Ce (LuGAGG:Ce,Mg) multicomponent single crystalline epitaxial garnet films were prepared and their cathodoluminescence (CL) and thermoluminescence (TSL) properties were studied in this paper. The films were prepared using the liquid phase epitaxy from lead-free BaO-B2O3-BaF2 flux and their scintillation properties were characterized using the 10 keV collimated e-beam. More specifically, temperature dependent CL intensity, CL emission spectra, CL decay characteristics as well as TSL emission characteristics of the mentioned films were measured. At the highest content of Mg (700 ppm), the CL decay time was as low as 28 ns and the CL afterglow was as low as 0.01% at 1 μs after the e-beam excitation cut-off, which are important parameters for electron detectors in e-beam devices. The CL temperature quenching of the studied films began above room temperature. An increase of Mg concentration to or above 280 ppm quenched the characteristic CL emission of LuGAGG:Ce,Mg. The TSL measurements show that the trap population in studied garnet samples is considerably suppressed. The LuGAGG:Ce,Mg multicomponent single crystalline epitaxial films were evaluated as the perspective fast scintillators for the electron detectors in the e-beam devices.