High-resolution Tb3+-doped Gd-based oxyfluoride glass scintillators for X-ray imaging

Abstract

Tb³⁺-doped oxyfluoride glass scintillators have aroused significant attention due to their ability to absorb high energy radiation and convert the energy to visible light. Herein, a series of Tb³⁺-doped Gd-based oxyfluoride glasses (SiBNaBaGd–xTb) were synthesized and their superior optical and scintillation properties were investigated. These oxyfluoride glasses have high transmittance (higher than 88% @542 nm) and emit bright green light. The highest internal quantum efficiency reaches 75.3%. The integral intensity of X-ray excited luminescence of SiBNaBaGd–5.0Tb is 250% that of commercial scintillator Bi₄Ge₃O₁₂. Response change during irradiation is relatively insignificant. The spatial resolution of SiBNaBaGd–5.0Tb for X-ray imaging is 20 lp mm⁻¹. These results indicate that the SiBNaBaGd–5.0Tb glass might be a potential candidate scintillator for X-ray imaging.