Nonlinear scintillation effects in the intrinsic luminescence from Sc$_{1.318}$Y$_{0.655}$Si$_{1.013}$O$_{4.987}$ crystal excited by electrons and gamma-quanta

TL;DR

This study investigates the nonlinear scintillation effects in intrinsic luminescence of a specific Y–Sc–Si–O crystal excited by electrons and gamma rays, revealing flux-dependent spectral shifts and decay time variations.

Contribution

It provides new insights into nonlinear scintillation phenomena caused by interactions between electronic excitations in the crystal.

Findings

Luminescence yield of 12000 photons/MeV for 661.7 keV excitation.

Spectral shift from 315 to 340 nm with increased beam flux.

Decay time decreases from 1377 ns to 1165 ns with higher excitation density.

Abstract

The spectral and kinetic properties of intrinsic luminescence from (Y$_2$Sc$_1$)$_{0.(3)}$(Sc)[Si]O$_5$ crystal are studied. The emission is excited by electrons and gamma-quanta. The composition (Y$_2$Sc$_1$)$_{0.(3)}$(Sc)[Si]O$_5$ is the congruent one for Sc$_2$SiO$_5$-Y$_2$SiO$_5$ solid solutions. It is found, that the crystal emits fairly bright intrinsic cathodololuminescence (CL) and radioluminescence (RL) at room temperature. In particular, the light yield of scintillation excited by -quanta with the energies of 661.7 keV is of 12000 photons/MeV. An increase in the beam flux by $\sim$20 times leads to the shift in the maximum CL energy spectral density from 315 to 340 nm and to the decrease in the CL decay time at 415 nm from 1377 +/- 3 ns to 1165 +/- 1 ns. Simultaneously, the decay time of RL excited by a photoelectron with the energy of 644.7 keV is of 1310 +/- 10 ns while a Compton electron with the energy of 477 keV excites RL with the decay time of 1050 +/- 10 ns. Also, we observed differences in the CL yield dependencies on the volume-averaged density of electronic excitations (EEs) at different wavelengths. An explanation of the results is given considering the nonlinear scintillation phenomena induced by an interaction between EEs. It is based on a conception that an increase in EE volume density leads to an increase in EEs nonradiative quenching due to these interactions.