Uniformity of thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence signals over the length of doped LiMgpO4 crystal rods grown by micro-pulling-down method

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to systematically assess the distribution of thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) properties along the length of crystals grown by the micro-pulling-downmethod, in relation to themicrostructure and distribution of activators. We analyzed lithium magnesium phosphate (LiMgPO4; LMP) crystals doped with terbium (Tb; 0.8 mol%) or with a combination of thulium (Tm; 0.8 mol% or 1.2 mol%) and boron (B; 10 mol%). Crystals of several centimeters in length and 3 mm in diameter were cut into 20–40 slices, depending on length. For each sample, TL glow curves and OSL decay curves were examined. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to assess the microstructure and elemental composition of several selected samples. Two-dimensional TL readouts were performed to identify the areas with higher and lower signal emission. Our study showed that there may be significant differences not only in LMP sensitivity along the crystal’s axis but also on the surface of the slice. The distribution of activators varies depending on the type of crystals and strongly affects luminescence properties.