Source: https://www.osapublishing.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-24-14-15289
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 14:15:54+00:00

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Highly luminescent ZnO:Ga-polystyrene composite (ZnO:Ga-PS) with ultrafast subnanosecond decay was prepared by homogeneous embedding the ZnO:Ga scintillating powder into the scintillating organic matrix. The powder was prepared by photo-induced precipitation with subsequent calcination in air and Ar/H2 atmospheres. The composite was subsequently prepared by mixing the ZnO:Ga powder into the polystyrene (10 wt% fraction of ZnO:Ga) and press compacted to the 1 mm thick pellet. Luminescent spectral and kinetic characteristics of ZnO:Ga were preserved. Radioluminescence spectra corresponded purely to the ZnO:Ga scintillating phase and emission of polystyrene at 300-350 nm was absent. These features suggest the presence of non-radiative energy transfer from polystyrene host towards the ZnO:Ga scintillating phase which is confirmed by the measurement of X-ray excited scintillation decay with picosecond time resolution. It shows an ultrafast rise time below the time resolution of the experiment (18 ps) and a single-exponential decay with the decay time around 500 ps.
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Fig. 1 Image of (a) 1 mm and (b) 0.17 mm thick ZnO:Ga-PS composite with the 10 wt% fraction of ZnO:Ga.
Fig. 2 A - RL spectra of ZnO:Ga free standing powder and BGO reference scintillator; B – PL decay of ZnO:Ga free standing powder. Instrumental response is also shown. Solid line is a convolution of instrumental response and the function I(t) displayed in the figure.
Fig. 3 A – Absorption, photoluminescence excitation (PLE) and radioluminescence (RL) spectra of polystyrene matrix (with no ZnO:Ga powder added). In the inset, absolute comparison of RL spectra of PS and BGO single crystal plates of the same thickness; B – PL decay of polystyrene matrix (with no ZnO:Ga powder added). Instrumental response is also shown. Solid line is a convolution of instrumental response and the function I(t) displayed in the figure.
Fig. 4 A – RL spectra of ZnO:Ga-PS at room temperature, absolute comparison of the nanocomposite to the single crystalline powder BGO reference scintillator; B – absorption and normalized RL spectra of the ZnO:Ga-PS composite.
Fig. 6 A – PL decay at the excitation by the nanoLED source, ex = 339 nm. B – PL decay at the excitation by the nanoLED source, ex = 281 nm. Instrumental response is also shown. Solid line is a convolution of instrumental response and the function I(t) in the figure.
Fig. 7 Spectrally unresolved scintillation decay of PS-ZnO:Ga composite under the picosecond X-ray pulse excitation, U = 40 kV. Instrumental response (IRF) is also shown in the figure. Lines (1), (2) and (3) are convolutions of IRF and functions I(t) displayed in the figure, for details, see the text.

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