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Title: Defect chemistry of Eu dopants in NaI scintillators studied by atomically resolved force microscopy

Journal Article · · Physical Review Materials
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [1];  [3];  [4];  [1];  [5];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Vienna Univ. of Technology (Austria). Inst. of Applied Physics
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  3. Vienna Univ. of Technology (Austria). Inst. of Applied Physics; Univ. of Vienna (Austria). Faculty of Physics and Center for Computational Materials Science
  4. Technische Univ. Wien, Vienna (Austria). X-ray Center
  5. Univ. of Vienna (Austria). Faculty of Physics and Center for Computational Materials Science; Univ. degli Studi di Bologna (Italy). Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia
+ Show Author Affiliations

Activator impurities and their distribution in the host lattice play a key role in scintillation phenomena. In this work a combination of cross-sectional noncontact atomic force microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density-functional theory were used to study the distribution of Eu2+ dopants in a NaI scintillator activated by 3% EuI2. A variety of Eu-based structures were determined in crystals subjected to different postgrowth treatments. Transparent crystals with good scintillation properties contained mainly small precipitates with a cubic crystal structure and a size below 4 nm. Upon annealing, Eu segregated toward the surface, resulting in the formation of an ordered hexagonal overlayer with a EuI2 composition and a pronounced, unidirectional moiré pattern. Crystals with poor optical transparency showed a significant degree of mosaicity and the presence of precipitates. All observed crystals contained a very low concentration of Eu dopants present as isolated point defects; most of the europium was incorporated in larger structures.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division; Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1558529
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1545459
Journal Information:
Physical Review Materials, Vol. 3, Issue 7; ISSN 2475-9953
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Figures / Tables (8)

FIG. 1(p. 1)figure FIG. 1
FIG. 2(p. 2)figure FIG. 2
FIG. 3(p. 3)figure FIG. 3
FIG. 4(p. 4)figure FIG. 4
FIG. 5(p. 4)figure FIG. 5
TABLE I(p. 5)table TABLE I
FIG. 6(p. 6)figure FIG. 6
FIG. 7(p. 6)figure FIG. 7

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