Scintillation characterizations of Tl₂LiLuCl₆: Ce³⁺ single crystal

We report the growth and scintillation characterization of Tl₂LiLuCl₆ single crystals, developed from the melt using two-zone vertical Bridgman technique, while doped with 0.5, 1, 3 and 5 mol% Ce concentration. X-ray-induced emission spectra shows Ce³⁺ emission ranging from 370 to 540-nm wavelength. Energy resolution, light yield and decay time of the grown samples are measured under γ-ray excitation at room temperature. Energy resolution of 5.6% FWHM with 27,000±2700 ph/MeV light yield is found for 1mole% Ce-doped sample. For the same dopant concentration, three decay components are also observed. Variation of scintillation properties is observed as a function of dopant concentration in the material. It will provide excellent detection efficiency for X- and γ-rays due to its high effective Z-number and density. It is expected that such scintillator will be a potential detector for the medical imaging techniques.