Pulsed optically stimulated luminescence dosimetry using alpha-Al2O3:C

alpha-Al2O3:C is a highly sensitive material for thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD), but exhibits strong light-induced fading. This light sensitivity can be exploited, however, in optically stimulated luminescence dosimetry (OSLD) when the detector is stimulated with light after exposure to radiation and luminescence is recorded. It is shown that by using pulsed OSL (POSL) with alpha-Al2O3:C detectors, light output several times higher than the TL output can be achieved. Dependencies of the POSL signal on the dose of irradiation, and the parameters of laser stimulation (wavelength, power, pulse duration) are presented and discussed. The conclusion is made that POSL, using alpha-Al2O3:C, is a very sensitive, fast and flexible technique for use in dosimetry.