Changes in Optical Properties of Ce: YAG Crystals under Annealing and Irradiation Processing

TLDR: In this paper, the optical properties of cerium doped YAG single crystals were investigated after thermal annealing at 1400°C and 1200°C in N 2 +H 2 mixture and subsequent γ or proton irradiation.

Abstract: Changes of optical properties of cerium doped YAG single crystals (0.05, 0.1, 0.2 at. % Ce, and 0.2 at. % Ce + 0.1 at. % Mg) after thermal annealing at 1400°C in air or 1200°C in N 2 +H 2 mixture and subsequent γ or proton irradiation were investigated. For initial Ce 3+ contents 0,05 at. % a decrease of the final Ce 3+ concentration was observed. Appropriate changes in luminescence of Ce: YAG crystals were observed as a consequence of dopant concentration changes. They were small after γ-irradiation of Ce: YAG crystals with Ce 3+ content >0,05at.% and reached about 100% after γ-irradiation of crystals with Ce 3+ content <0.05 at. %.