Growth of CsI(Tl) crystals doped with Ca and Tm and investigation of its scintillation characteristics

In this work, the growth of CsI(Tl) crystals as gamma detector was performed using vertical Bridgman method with Ca and Tm co-dopants. For evaluation of the growth crystals, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence and thermoluminescence spectra as well as recorded gamma spectra were employed. In addition, the scintillation properties including energy resolution, scintillation decay time, absolute light yield, and afterglow were studied and measured. Scintillation properties of CsI(Tl) as the standard sample (Amcrys Company) and the fabricated detectors were compared. Based on the results, the light yield, energy resolutio, and decay time for CsI with Tl dopant for 661 keV are 97%, 11% and 1054 ns, respectively. The change in observed scintillation characteristics is due to creation of luminescence level and reduction of hole-trap centers by Tm, Ca codopant in CsI(Tl) structure. By Tm2+ codopant in CsI(Tl) structure, the light yield, energy resolution for 661 keV, and decay time are 103%, 9.7%, and 1373 ns, respectively. This crystal has smaller scintillation decay time and slower afterglow in comparison with CsI(Tl). Ca2+ codopant has undesirable effects on the light yield and energy resolution, while its scintillation decay time is faster and leads to higher afterglow than CsI:Tl. The light yield, energy resolution for 661 keV, and decay time are 98%, 12%, and 537 ns, correspondingly.