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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:CaFcan 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.

Parameter

Chemical formula Eu: CaF2
Density (g/cm3) 3.18
Melting point (℃) 1360
Hardness (Mho) 4
Hygroscopic No
Cleavage  
Solubility (g/100gH2O) 0.0017
Thermal conductivity (W/mK) 9.7
Thermal expansion coeff (C-1) 19.5*10-6
Wavelength(Max. emission) (nm) 435
Wavelength range (nm) 395~525
Decay time (ns) 950
Light yield (photons/keV) 30
Light output relative to Nal(Tl) (%) 50
Refractive index 1.47@435nm
Radiation length (cm) 3.05
Optical transmission (um) 0.13-10
Transmittance (%) TBA
Reflection loss/surface (%) 5.4
Energy resolution (%) <8
Neutron capture cross-section (barns) TBA
Afterglow (%) <0.3

Er-CaF2 Emission spectraEr-CaF2 Refractive indexEr-CaF2 total attenuation

Feature

  • High transparency
  • High chemical resistance
  • High laser damage threshold
  • Low refractive index
  • Non-hygroscopic nurture
  • Excellent fracture resistance
  • Low effective atomic number
  • Low density
  • Low phonon energy

Application

  • Biomedical imaging
  • Therapeutics
  • Photonics
  • UV sensor
  • Filter
  • Stepper lens
  • Pressure marker
  • Detection of low energy photons and charged particles
  • 2.8 µm lasers
  • Medical treatments

 

CONTACT DETAILS
Nanjing Crylink Photonics Co.,Ltd
No.3, Hengda Road, Economic and Technological Development Zone, Nanjing, China
No.200,Zhaoxian Road,Jiading District,Shanghai City
Nanjing
Jiangsu
210038
China
Tel: (86)025-68790684
Fax: (86)025-68790685
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