Development of Ce3+ and Li+ co-doped magnesium borate glass ceramics for optically stimulated luminescence dosimetry

Magnesium tetraborate, MgB4O7, is an attractive host material for dosimetry due to the two characteristics: its low effective atomic number (Zeff = 8.4) and high neutron capture cross-section of 10B isotope. Particularly, Ce3+ Li+ ions co-doped MgB4O7 has shown optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) signal comparable that Al2O3:C, which a well-known OSL material. In this work, further improvement dosimetric properties, new synthesis route MgB4O7:Ce3+-Li+ described: glass-ceramic (GC) samples were prepared by heat treatment magnesium borate glass with composition, 25MgO–72B2O3–3Li2O-0.3Ce3+. The GC show UV-blue radioluminescence assigned 5d → 4f transition under X-ray irradiation thermoluminescence (TL) glow peaks related shallow deep electron traps. Although fading TL was observed release from traps, electrons captured traps stable at room temperature. annealed 750 °C 800 °C, named GC750 GC800, showed up 10 h following β-ray irradiation, after initial mainly presence in From viewpoint ratio, GC800 potential as practical dosimeter.