Comprehensive characterization of a YAG:Ce scintillator: light yield, alpha quenching and pulse-shape discrimination

TL;DR

This paper provides a detailed experimental analysis of YAG:Ce scintillators, focusing on light yield, decay times, alpha quenching, and pulse-shape discrimination across temperature ranges, highlighting its suitability for radiation detection.

Contribution

It offers the first comprehensive characterization of YAG:Ce's scintillation properties under various radiation types and temperatures, including pulse-shape discrimination capabilities.

Findings

Light yield and decay time vary with temperature.

Alpha quenching factor decreases from 0.17 to 0.10 between 6 MeV and 1 MeV.

Pulse-shape discrimination effectively distinguishes interaction types.

Abstract

Solid-state scintillators are widely used in particle and applied physics due to their versatility and resistance to diverse environments and operating conditions. This broad range of applications calls for thorough characterization of scintillating crystals. Among these materials, cerium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG:Ce) is a promising scintillator owing to its favorable timing characteristics, high light yield, good mechanical properties, and chemical stability. In this work, we report a comprehensive experimental characterization of a YAG:Ce crystal exposed to both $\gamma$ and $alpha$ radiation. We extract the scintillation decay time and light yield, and study their evolution from room temperature down to approximately $-50 ^\circ$ C. We perform a detailed investigation of the quenching factor for \al particles in the energy range from about $6$ MeV down to $1$ MeV, finding a value that decreases from approximately $0.17$ to $0.10$. We also explore the possibility of pulse-shape discrimination based on the different signal evolution depending on the interaction type, demonstrating strong classification capabilities. These results provide a detailed assessment of the performance of \YAG for radiation-detection applications and offer insight into its potential use in environments requiring reliable particle identification and stable response across a wide range of operating conditions.