Fabrication, optical and scintillation properties of (Lu0.75,Y0.25)AG:Pr ceramic scintillators

Y3+ admixing Lu3Al5O12:Pr ceramics are fabricated successfully by the solid state reaction method and further optimized by an air-annealing process. Optical absorption, photoluminescence spectra and scintillation properties such as radioluminescence, and light output are measured and compared with those of the Y3+ free LuAG:Pr ceramics. Positive effect of Y3+ codopant consists mainly in the significant increase of scintillation light output, as well as the decrease of relative intensity of slow component. With 0.15% Pr3+ codoping, the obtained LuYAG:Pr ceramic displays a light output of 28500 ph/MeV at 3 μs shaping time, higher than that of the LuAG:Pr ceramic scintillators ever report. The effect of Y3+ admixture is further explained by vacuum ultraviolet and electron spin resonance experiment.