Thermoluminescence responses of terbium-doped magnesium orthosilicate with different synthesis conditions.

Numerous materials have been proposed for thermoluminescence dosemeter, and the example of highest sensitivity is cited as magnesium orthosilicate doped with terbium (Mg2SiO4:Tb). Nevertheless, the material is currently not commercially attractive because the sensitivity varies greatly with synthesis techniques. This is a multi-parameter problem, and the current work explores some of the conditions required to consistently enhance the response. These new results show that to get a high TL response, Mg2SiO4:Tb should be prepared at a high temperature of at least 1500°C, for sintering times of several hours. In the current example, the optimum time was 6 h. Signals also vary with the terbium activator concentration, and good responses were achieved with a concentration of Tb at 5 wt %. Overall, this suggests that with careful preparation, the potentially high dosimetry performance might be exploited. The inherent problem of concentration quenching is considered, and the potential benefits of processing the powder with pulse laser annealing are reviewed in the light of successful luminescence and laser studies for rare-earth-doped laser materials.