Development of new mixed Lux(RE3+)1-xAP:Ce scintillators (RE3+ = Y3+ or Gd3+):: comparison with other Ce-doped or intrinsic scintillating crystals

This paper presents the development of new Ce-doped, fast and high effective-Z mixed Lu-x(RE3+)(1-x)AP:Ce crystals. these crystals have been grown by the Czochralski method and good results have been obtained with x = 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 for Y3+ ions and roughly between x=0.6 and 0.7 for Gd3+ ions. Relative light yields measured for the Lu-x(RE3+)(1-x)AP:Ce crystals are 40-75% higher than for EGO and are comparable to the light yield of YAP:Ce crystal. Measured energy resolutions at 662 keV range over 8-15.3% FWHM and are close to the energy resolution obtained with YAP:Ce, Thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) measurements above room temperature have also been performed: in accordance with the expected effect of trap states on scintillation efficiency, an anticorrelation between TSL intensity and light yield is found. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V, All rights reserved.