Fabrication and scintillation characterizations of high concentration Ce3+ doped BaF2 transparent ceramic

In this study, high concentration (5 mol%) of cerium doped barium fluoride transparent ceramic was fabricated by hot pressing method t a temperature of 1200 °C under 30 MPa. XRD (X-ray Diffraction), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), PLE (Photoluminescence Emission) measurements was used to investigate the phase composition, microstructure as well as photoluminescence properties of Ce 3 + ${}^{3+}$ : BaF 2 . XEL (X-ray Excited Luminescence) and pulse height spectrum were used to investigate the scintillation properties of this ceramic. The phase composition and microstructure analyses showed that the Ce 3 + ${}^{3+}$ : BaF 2 precursor nanoparticles prepared by the co-precipitation method were uniform and have a average size of 25 nm. The highest transmittance of the ceramic was 77% at the wavelength of 2300 nm. The PL (photoluminescence) spectrum showed that the 5d–4f transition of Ce 3 + ${}^{3+}$ : BaF 2 transparent ceramic is located at 340 nm. X-ray excited luminescence exhibited only one violet peak at 392 nm. Scintillation decay time measurements showed only a slow component of 437 ns under 662 keV gamma excitation.