Cathodo- and radioluminescence of Tm$^{3+}$:YAG and Nd$^{3+}$:YAG in an extended wavelength range
arXiv:1702.08386 · doi:10.1016/j.jlumin.2017.05.027
Abstract
We have studied the cathodo- and radioluminescence of Nd:YAG and of Tm:YAG single crystals in an extended wavelength range up to $\approx 5\,μ$m in view of developing a new kind of detector for low-energy, low-rate energy deposition events. Whereas the light yield in the visible range is as large as $\approx 10^{4}\,$photons/MeV, in good agreement with literature results, in the infrared range we have found a light yield $\approx 5\times 10^{4}\,$photons/MeV, thereby proving that ionizing radiation is particularly efficient in populating the low lying levels of rare earth doped crystals.
submitted for publication in Journal of Luminescence