Floating Zone Growth and Scintillation Characteristics of Cerium-Doped Gadolinium Pyrosilicate Single Crystals

Abstract

Growth of cerium-doped gadolinium pyrosilicate single crystals, which show 2.5 times greater light output for gamma-rays and five times greater light output for alpha-particles than GSO single crystals, is accomplished using the floating zone growth method (FZ method). Although growth of (GPS) single crystal is considered to be difficult because it melts incongruently according to the phase diagram of system, we attempted crystal growth of Ce:GPS because of the possibility that heavy Ce doping would change the phase diagram. Transparent single crystals were obtained, although some cracks were observed in the crystals. The crystal structure was triclinic with P/1 space group and density of 5.5 . Two peaks, which were observed using photoluminescence spectrometry at 372 nm and 394 nm, were attributed to 5d-4f transition in . Decay times of Ce:GPS scintillation were 46 ns for gamma-ray excitation and 39 ns for alpha-particle excitation. We consider that fabrication of crack free crystals will improve the energy resolution.