Optical and scintillation properties of transparent ceramic Yb:Lu ₂O₃ with different Yb concentrations

Yb 0.1-100% doped Lu₂O₃ transparent ceramic scintillators were prepared by Konoshima Chemical. They had 60-80% transparency at wavelength longer than 240 nm and absorption bands around 970 nm due to 4f-4f transition of Yb³⁺ were observed. In photoluminescence and X-ray induced radioluminescence, Yb³⁺ charge transfer luminescence appeared at 330 and 490 nm. Photoluminescence and scintillation decay times of the charge transfer luminescence resulted 0.5-1.5 ns. ¹³⁷Cs excited pulse height spectrum was evaluated to determine the light yield of the fast component and Yb 0.3% doped sample exhibited the highest light yield of ∼500 ph/MeV.