Optical, luminescence and scintillation characteristics of Bi-doped LuAG and YAG single crystalline films

Bi-doped Lu3Al5O12 (LuAG) single crystalline films (SCFs) of thickness within 8–31 µm were grown by the liquid-phase epitaxy method onto Y3Al5O12 (YAG) single crystal substrates using a melt solution based on a Bi2O3 flux. Their characteristics were compared with YAG : Bi SCFs grown at the same conditions. The concentration of Bi3+ ions in LuAG : Bi and YAG : Bi SCFs was varied by changing the growth temperature in the ranges 0.05–0.18 at% and 0.13–0.57 at%, respectively. The absorption, luminescence and scintillation properties of these SCFs noticeably depend on the Bi3+ concentration. Luminescence spectra of both LuAG : Bi and YAG : Bi SCF consist of two broad emission bands in the UV and visible (VIS) spectral ranges peaking at 4.155–4.085 eV and 2.45–2.66 eV, respectively. Both the UV and VIS luminescence show complex non-exponential decays. Under 241Am α-particle excitation the photoelectron yield of the best performing LuAG : Bi (0.18 at%) and YAG : Bi (0.13 at%) SCFs is about 15% and 21%, respectively, of that of the reference YAP : Ce single crystal.