Fast fluorescence and scintillation properties of cerium and praseodymium doped lutetium orthoborates

Both calcite and vaterite polycrystalline phases of LuBO3 doped with cerium and praseodymium have been prepared and their fluorescence properties inve stigated in the visible, near UV and VUV regions. The systems exhibit a str ong and rapid near UV-blue fluorescence typical of the 5d --> 4f parity-all owed transitions of dopants. It is shown that the excitation transfers from excitons and electron-hole pairs to dopants are very efficient. The light yield can be three times ore efficient than that of the well-known Bi4Ge3O1 2 scintillator for the best samples.