Title: A luminescence study of NaMgF₃:Dy³⁺ and NaMgF₃:Nd³⁺ for applications in radiation dosimetry

Authors: J. Donaldson; G.V.M. Williams

Addresses: MacDiarmid Institute, SCPS, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand ' MacDiarmid Institute, SCPS, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand

Abstract: Photoluminescence (PL) and radioluminescence (RL) from Dy³⁺ and Nd³⁺ were observed in the fluoroperovskite host NaMgF₃ at visible and near infrared wavelengths. In the case of NaMgF₃:Dy³⁺, the emission lifetime is long enough to efficiently separate the PL emission from more prompt emissions, such as Čerenkov photons, by temporal means. This property is useful in certain fibre optic dosimeter applications involving pulsed high energy X-rays, such as radiotherapy dosimetry. Such applications are often complicated by a background of Čerenkov photons and an emphasis on emission in the infrared may also prove valuable in mitigating this problem. At doses above approximately 1 kGy, the dependence of RL intensity on absorbed dose was found to be largely free from the influence of radiation induced colour centres for the near infrared emissions exhibited by both the Dy³⁺ and Nd³⁺ dopant.

Keywords: photoluminescence; radioluminescence; fluoroperovskite; radiation dosimetry; trivalent dysprosium; trivalent neodymium; NaMgF3:Dy3+; NaMgF3:Nd3+; sodium magnesium fluoride.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2017.082442

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2017 Vol.14 No.1/2/3/4/5/6, pp.558 - 565

Published online: 24 Feb 2017 *

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