Luminescence and scintillation properties of BaF2Ce transparent ceramic

Abstract Cerium doped Barium Fluoride (BaF 2 Ce) transparent ceramic was fabricated and its luminescence and scintillation properties were studied. The photoluminescence shows the emission peaks at 310 nm and 323 nm and is related to the 5d-4f transitions in Ce 3+ ion. Photo peak at 511 keV and 1274 keV were obtained with BaF 2 Ce transparent ceramic for Na-22 radioisotopes. Energy resolution of 13.5% at 662 keV is calculated for the BaF 2 Ce transparent ceramic. Light yield of 5100 photons/MeV was recorded for BaF 2 Ce(0.2%) ceramic and is comparable to its single crystal counterpart. Scintillation decay time measurements shows fast component of 58 ns and a relatively slow component of 434 ns under 662 keV gamma excitation. The slower component in BaF 2 Ce(0.2%) ceramic is about 200 ns faster than the STE emission in BaF 2 host and is associated with the dipole-dipole energy transfer from the host matrix to Ce 3+ luminescence center.