Scintillation Properties of Eu-doped SrF2 Transparent Ceramics

Abstract

Eu-doped SrF2 transparent ceramics were synthesized by spark plasma sintering, and their optical and scintillation properties were studied. The Eu-doped SrF2 transparent ceramics showed an emission peak at 410 nm with excitations of 250 and 350 nm, and the PL quantum yield of the 0.1% Eu-doped SrF2 transparent ceramic was 8.1%. Moreover, the Eu-doped SrF2 transparent ceramics showed scintillation with emission peaks at 300 and 410 nm under X-ray irradiation. Based on the measured scintillation decay times, the origins of the emissions at 300 and 410 nm were self-trapped excitation and 5d–4f transitions of Eu2+ ions, respectively. The scintillation light yield of the 0.1% Eu-doped SrF2 transparent ceramic was evaluated to be about 6100 photons/MeV under 137Cs γ-rays.