Composition engineering in cerium-doped (Lu,Gd)₃(Ga,Al) ₅O₁₂ single-crystal scintillators

The Ce-doped (Lu_yGd_1-x)₃(Ga _y,Al_1-y)₅O₁₂ single crystals were grown by the micropulling down method. Their structure and chemical composition were checked by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) techniques. Optical, luminescent, and scintillation characteristics were measured by the methods of time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy, including the light yield and scintillation decay. Balanced Gd and Ga admixture into the Lu₃Al₅O₁₂ structure provided an excellent scintillator where the effect of shallow traps was suppressed, the spectrally corrected light yield value exceeded 40 000 photons/MeV, and scintillation decay was dominated by a 53 ns decay time value which is close to that of Ce ³⁺ photoluminescence decay. This study provides an excellent example of a combinatorial approach where targeted single-crystal compositions are obtained by a flexible, time saving, and cost-effective crystal growth technique.