Tunable luminescent properties of BaGd2 O4 :Eu3+ scintillating phosphors by Pr3+ -codoping.

ABSTRACT

BaGd2 O4Eu3+ scintillating phosphors by Pr3+ -codoping were synthesized at 1300°C in air using a solid-state reaction method. The as-synthesized phosphors were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) including excitation and emission spectra, radioluminescence (RL) spectra excited by X-ray and thermoluminescence (TL) spectra. Both the PL and RL spectra are composed of the featured trivalent europium (Eu3+ ) without any praseodymium (Pr3+ ) ions, and the PL and RL intensities as well as the lifetimes of BaGd2 O4Eu3+ scintillating phosphors decrease dramatically with an increasing concentration of Pr3+ ions. Finally, the TL spectra reveal the trap concentration of the existing defects decrease with an increasing concentration of Pr3+ ions, while the relative TL intensity ratio of the high temperature band to the low temperature one increases with an increasing concentration of Pr3+ ions, which results in the afterglow suppression of BaGd2 O4Eu3+ scintillating phosphors.