The crystal structures and optical properties of 5% 6Li:Ce0.09Y2.91Al5O12 transparent ceramics prepared by solid-state reaction with different vacuum sintering temperature were investigated in this paper. The results reveal that with the increasing of sintering temperature, the transmittance of 6Li,Ce:YAG ceramics increases from 36% (1680°C) to 82% (1780°C) at 1000 nm, and the intensity of absorption peaks at 340 and 460 nm increases. The emission peak wavelengths of 6Li:Ce0.09Y2.91Al5O12 ceramics have been measured as 534.5 nm, and there is no red shift. The high transmittance and emission peak (at 534.5 nm) suggested that this material could be a candidate for neutron detection applications.
KouzesRT, ElyJH, EriksonLE, Neutron detection alternatives to 3He for national security applications. Nucl Instrum Meth A. 2010;623:1035–1045. doi: 10.1016/j.nima.2010.08.021
2.
ChoA.Helium-3 shortage could put freeze on low-temperature research. Science. 2009;326:778–779. doi: 10.1126/science.326_778
3.
FederT.US government agencies work to minimize damage due to helium-3 shortfall. Phys Today. 2009;62:21–23.
4.
BessiereA, DorenbosP, van EijkCWE, New thermal neutron scintillators: Cs2LiYCl6: Ce3+ and Cs2LiYBr6:Ce3+. IEEE Trans Nucl Sci. 2004;51:2970–2972. doi: 10.1109/TNS.2004.834957
5.
MukhopadhyayS, MchughHR.Portable gamma and thermal neutron detector using 6LiI(Eu) crystals. Office of Scientific & Technical Information, Technical Reports. 2004;5198:73–82.
6.
Shul'ginBV, PetrovVL, PustovarovVA, Scintillation neutron detectors based on 6Li-silica glass doped with cerium. Phys Solid State. 2005;47:1412–1415. doi: 10.1134/1.2014479
7.
MoszyńskiM, LudziejewskiT, WolskiD, Properties of the YAG:Ce scintillator. Nucl Instrum Meth A. 1994;345:461–467. doi: 10.1016/0168-9002(94)90500-2
8.
LupeiA, LupeiV, GheorgheC, Multicenters in Ce3+ visible emission of YAG ceramics. Opt Mater. 2014;37:727–733. doi: 10.1016/j.optmat.2014.09.001
9.
FiserovaL, JandaJ, SasD.Neutron detection using conversion layers and YAP:Ce and YAG:Ce crystals. Nucl Technol Radiat. 2015;30:198–202. doi: 10.2298/NTRP1503198F
10.
ChenS, ZhangL, KisslingerK, Transparent Y3Al5O12: Li, Ce ceramics for thermal neutron detection. J Am Ceram Soc. 2013;96:1067–1069. doi: 10.1111/jace.12297
11.
YangMZ, SuiY, WangSP, Enhancement of up conversion emission in Y3Al5O12:Er3+ induced by Li+ doping at interstitial sites. Chem Phys Lett. 2010;492:40–43. doi: 10.1016/j.cplett.2010.04.023
12.
IkesueA, FurusatoI, KamataK.Fabrication of polycrystal line, transparent YAG ceramics by a solid-state reaction method. J Am Ceram Soc. 1995;78:225–228. doi: 10.1111/j.1151-2916.1995.tb08389.x
13.
TomikiT, AkamineH, GishikenM, Ce3+ centres in Y3Al5O12 (YAG) single crystals. J Phys Soc Jpn. 1991;60:2437–2445. doi: 10.1143/JPSJ.60.2437
14.
Sopicka-LizerM, MichalikD, PlewaJ, The effect of Al-O substitution for Si-N on the luminescence properties of YAG:Ce phosphor. J Eur Ceram Soc. 2012;32:1383–1387. doi: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2011.04.021
15.
ZhengF, ShuaiM, WangW, Microstructures and optical properties of 6Li, Ce:YAG ceramics for thermal neutron detection. J Eur Ceram Soc. 2017;37:3603–3607.
16.
DenisovAL, UmyskovAF, ShcherbakovIA.Sensitization of the luminescence of the Er3+ ions by Ce3+ ions in a YAG crystal. Sov J Quantum Electron. 1992;22:150–153. doi: 10.1070/QE1992v022n02ABEH003366
17.
HamiltonDS, GayenSK, PogatshnikGJ, Optical-absorption and photoionization measurements from the excited states of Ce3+:Y3Al5O12. Phys Rev B Condens Matter. 1989;39:8807–8815. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.39.8807
18.
BachmannV, RondaC, MeijerinkA.Temperature quenching of yellow Ce3+ luminescence in YAG:Ce. Chem Mater. 2009;21:2077–2084. doi: 10.1021/cm8030768
19.
BlasseG, BrilA.Investigation of some Ce3+-activated phosphors. J Chem Phys. 1967;47:5139–5145. doi: 10.1063/1.1701771
20.
RobbinsDJ, CockayneB, LentB, Investigation of competitive recombination processes in rare-earth activated garnet phosphors. Phys Rev B. 1979;19:1254–1269. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.19.1254
21.
LiQ, GaoL, YanD.The crystal structure and spectra of nano-scale YAG:Ce3+. Mater Chem Phys. 2000;64(1):41–44. doi: 10.1016/S0254-0584(99)00250-3
22.
YuanF, RyuH.Ce-doped YAG phosphor powders prepared by co-precipitation and heterogeneous precipitation. Mater Sci Eng B. 2004;107:14–18. doi: 10.1016/j.mseb.2003.10.002
23.
ZhaoC, ZhuD, MaM, Brownish red dmitting YAG:Ce3+, Cu+ phosphors for enhancing the color rendering index of white LEDs. J Alloy Compd. 2012;523:151–154. doi: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2012.01.131
24.
NingL, JiX, DongY, First-principles study of Ce-doped Y3Al5O12 with Si-N incorporation: electronic structures and optical properties. J Mater Chem C. 2016;4:5214–5221. doi: 10.1039/C6TC01691J
