Correlation between thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence of LiMgPO4:Tb,Sm,B phosphor

LiMgPO₄:Tb,Sm,B is a promising material for dosimetry applications, particularly in optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). This study aimed to explore residual thermoluminescence (R-TL) glow curves after different light bleaching times to establish a connection between TL traps and OSL components for the first time. The OSL decay curves and R-TL glow curve intensities were analyzed using exponential decay functions to account for optical decay, enabling identification of the OSL components and bleaching decay rates of each TL peak. A correlation between the decay rates of OSL components and bleaching decay rates of TL peaks, as well as the relationship between increased OSL intensity and decreased TL intensity were studied for different irradiation doses. Various bleaching models were evaluated to determine the most appropriate one for LiMgPO₄:Tb,Sm,B. A non-thermally sensitive deep electron trap is proposed to enhance the understanding of the luminescence mechanism in LiMgPO₄:Tb,Sm,B.