Scintillation Properties of ${\rm Nd}^{3+}$-Doped ${\rm Lu}_{2}{{\rm O}_3}$ Ceramics in the Visible and Infrared Regions

Nd
³⁺
-doped Lu
₂
O
₃
(Nd: Lu
₂
O
₃
) is a candidate for an infrared scintillator because (i) Lu
₂
O
₃
has a high density of 9.5 g/cm
³
and a high atomic number of 67 and (ii) Nd
³⁺
-doped materials emit in the infrared range and the emission lines from Nd
³⁺
can be used in medical applications since human body has a transparency window between 600 and 1,100 nm. However, it is extremely difficult to fabricate Lu
₂
O
₃
single crystals using conventional crystal growth methods because of the high melting point (2,510
^°
C). Using solid-state reactions, it is much easier to fabricate Lu
₂
O
₃
into a ceramic structure. Therefore, Nd: Lu
₂
O
₃
transparent ceramics were fabricated using a spark plasma sintering method. This technique is comparatively simple and consumes less time than other methods such as vacuum hot pressing. The scintillation properties and transmittance spectra of the as-produced ceramics were studied in both the visible and infrared regions. Radioluminescence spectra were measured in the range 800-1,200 nm. Nd
³⁺
emission lines were observed in the transparency window of human body. Thus, these ceramic materials could be a candidate for medical imaging applications.