Radiation resistance and temperature dependence of Ce:GPS scintillation crystal

Abstract

We investigated the scintillation properties of Ce:GPS (Ce:Gd2Si2O7), Pr:LuAG (Pr:Lu3Al5O12), and LYSO (Lu2(1 − x)Y2xSiO5) scintillators in high-temperature and high-radiation environments to evaluate their potential application in harsh environments. The temperature dependence of the scintillators was investigated from room temperature to 350 °C. The LYSO scintillator was very vulnerable to high temperatures while the light output of Pr:LuAG scintillator decreased rapidly above 200 °C. The Ce:GPS scintillator demonstrated almost constant light output to 250 °C and decrease about 30% at 300 °C. We also measured the changes in the light yield and transmittance of the scintillators in the range of 0–3.83 MGy. At the highest gamma rays radiation dose, the light output of Ce:GPS, Pr:LuAG, and LYSO compared to the reference scintillator were 15.3% ± 1.8%, 36.7% ± 3.1%, and 73.4% ± 2.6%, respectively. However, Ce:GPS demonstrated a pronounced and fast recovery via thermal annealing, and it recovered within 30 minutes at 400 °C and 1 hour at 300 °C. These properties permit the potential application of Ce:GPS in extreme environments. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd