Garnet scintillator co-doped with monovalent ion
AssigneeUniversity of Tennessee Research Foundation
InventorsCamera Janelle Foster, Yuntao Wu, Merry A. Koschan, Charles L. Melcher
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Abstract
Codoped rare earth garnet-type oxide scintillators are described. More particularly, the scintillators include lutetium yttrium aluminum garnet (LuYAG)-type materials that are doped with an activator, such as praseodymium, and codoped with a monovalent cation, such as lithium. Radiation detectors comprising the scintillators, methods of detecting higher energy radiation using the scintillators, and methods of preparing the scintillators and altering scintillator properties are also described.
Claims25
A scintillator material comprising a composition of Formula (III):
- [(Lu1-xYx)1-y-zAyBz]3Al5O12 (III),
- wherein:
- 0.2≤x≤0.3;
- 0.004≤y≤0.015;
- 0.001≤z≤0.1;
- A is Pr3+;
- and
- B is at least one type of monovalent cation, wherein the monovalent cation is a cation of an element selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, and K.
A method of improving energy resolution of a rare earth aluminum garnet scintillator, wherein the rare earth aluminum garnet scintillator is a praseodymium (Pr) doped lutetium yttrium aluminum garnet (LuYAG) scintillator, wherein the method comprises preparing a scintillator material comprising a composition of Formula (III):
- [(Lu1-xYx)1-y-zAyBz]3Al5O12 (III),
- wherein:
- 0.2≤x≤0.3;
- 0.004≤y≤0.015;
- 0.001≤z≤0.1;
- A is Pr3+;
- and
- B is at least one type of monovalent cation, wherein the monovalent cation is a cation of an element selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, and K.
A scintillator material comprising a composition of Formula (I′):
- [(RE1-xRE′x)1-y-zAyB′z]3Al5O12 (I′),
- wherein:
- 0.2≤x≤0.3;
- 0.004≤y≤0.015;
- 0.001≤z≤0.1;
- RE is Lu;
- RE′ is Y;
- A is Pr3+;
- and
- B′ is a monovalent cation of a lithium-6 isotope (i.e., 6Li+).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.