A novel inorganic scintillator: Lu2Si2O7 : Ce3+ (LPS)

We have characterized the gamma and X-ray scintillation properties of Ce3doped Lu2Si2O7, a lutetium pyre-silicate (LPS) material. The rare earth ion s are located in an octahedral site with C-2 symmetry. The compound exhibit s chemical stability, transparency in a wide optical range and congruent me lting, which allows growing of single crystals of good optical quality. The melting temperature is about 2000 degreesC, slightly lower than that of Lu 2SiO5 (LSO). Two maxima at 305 nm and 355 nm are observed in the optical ab sorption spectrum. The emission spectrum of Ce3+ in LPS shows a broad band peaking at 380 nm. For a nominal Ce3+ atomic concentration of similar to0.0 1, under gamma-ray excitation we observe light yields in the range 13,000-2 3,000 photons/MeV, depending on the preparation atmosphere. The actual ceri um concentration inside the crystal still needs to be determined. The scint illation decay time is around 30 ns and, in the first studies, neither a lo ng component nor afterglow was observed.