Comparative study on scintillation and luminescence of Terbium-doped LaB3O6 crystalline and glass materials

초록

This study compares the scintillation and luminescence properties of terbium-doped lanthanum borate (LaB3O6: Tb) in crystalline and amorphous glass forms. Characteristic Tb3+ emissions arising from the 5D4 to 7F6-7F3 transitions were observed in both phases. The crystalline form exhibits intrinsic host luminescence peaking around 320 nm, attributed to the LaB3O6 matrix. In contrast, the glass form offers high optical transmittance in the 400-900 nm range, allowing detection of the weaker 5D3 to 7F6-7F4 transition of Tb3+. Synchrotron photoluminescence measurements at UVSOR reveal efficient host-to-Tb3+ energy transfer under vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) excitation, explore new excitation bands, and clarify the origin of the intrinsic host emission. Scintillation performance varies with phase, reinforcing structure-dependent luminescence behaviors. These results highlight the critical role of the host matrix and its structure in governing energy transfer and emission dynamics, positioning LaB3O6: Tb as a promising material for UV photonics, scintillators, and UV-filtering applications.

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