Eu CaF2 Scintillator Crystal

13 Aug 2019

Description

Eu:CaF2—A scintillation material with high optical transparency and low phonon energy

Rare earth elements are easily to form clusters in CaF₂ crystals, which is beneficial for reducing the doping concentration and maintaining the energy transfer between erbium ions as well. As s one of the phosphors that has efficient excitation in the near UV range, Europium-activated calcium fluoride (Eu:CaF₂) is an inert and transparent material with several characteristics that make it attractive for use as a scintillator in radiation detection systems. It has an average light yield of 24,000 photons*MeV^–1 and the refractive index is similar to that of many photomultiplier tube windows and optical coupling compounds. Therefore, a high light collection efficiency can often be obtained. Additionally, the maximum wavelength of fluorescent emissions from Eu:CaF₂of 435 nm matches well with photocathode photomultiplier tubes. What’s more, Eu:CaF₂ can be used in relatively harsh environmental conditions because of its non-hygroscopic nurture and fracture resistance.

The fluoride materials have a wide range of potential optical applications  because of their high transparency arising from low-energy phonons and high ionicity. Especially, the calcium fluoride (CaF₂) crystal with an optically isotropic fluorite structure  has attracted much more attention due to its high transparency in a broad wavelength range, high chemical resistance, high laser damage threshold and low refractive index. The doping of europium elements into CaF₂ crystal can change its physical properties, which can be used to realize the various optical integrated devices，such as UV sensor, filter, stepper lens and so on.

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