Scintillation properties of multilayered composite scintillators based on the YAG:Ce and TbAG:Ce single crystalline films and GAGG:Ce crystal substrates

Abstract

This work demonstrates current progress of our group in developing of two- and three-layered composite for radiation monitoring of various components of mixed ionization radiation fluxes based on the epitaxial structures of Ce³⁺ doped garnet compounds using the Liquid Phase Epitaxy growth technique. These scintillators contain one or two single crystalline films, dedicated for registration of low-penetrating particles, and bulk single crystal substrates used for detection of high-penetrating γ-rays. For creation of two- and three-layered epitaxial structures, the single crystalline films of Ce³⁺ doped Y₃Al₅O₁₂, Tb₃Al₅O₁₂ and Tb₂GdAl₅O₁₂ garnets were used. The single crystal of mixed Gd₃Ga_xAl_5-xO₁₂:Ce garnet with fixed Ga concentrations of x = 2.3 and 3.0 are utilized as substrates. To assess the scintillation properties of these epitaxial structures, the pulse height spectra, light yield and scintillation decay kinetics were measured under excitation by α–particles (²³⁹Pu), β-particles (⁹⁰Sr + ⁹⁰Y) and γ–rays (¹³⁷Cs). Finally, the figure-of merit of composite scintillators under study were calculated for selection of the best epitaxial structures for simultaneous registration α– and β-particles and γ–rays.