Photoluminescence and scintillation properties of SiO₂ glass activated with Eu²⁺

The basic photoluminescence and scintillation properties of Eu-doped SiO₂ glass are reported. When UV light was excited to the glass, an intense blue emission band was observed owing to the 4f⁶5d-4f⁷ (⁸S_7/2) transition of Eu²⁺emission centers. The fluorescence quantum efficiency (QE) and the decay time of Eu²⁺were calculated to be about 95% and 1230 ns, respectively. The 5d-4f emission band of Eu²⁺also appeared in the 450 nm wavelength range in the X-ray-excited radioluminescence spectrum. By ²⁴¹Am α-ray-irradiated pulse height spectra, the relative scintillation light output was found to be about 110% compared with reference lithium silicate glass (GS20) scintillator.