Particle detection through the quantum counter concept in YAG:Er{sup 3+}
- CNISM Unit, Dip. di Fisica e Astronomia and INFN, Via F. Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova (Italy)
- Dip. di Fisica e Astronomia and INFN, Via F. Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova (Italy)
- Dip. di Fisica and INFN, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo, 3, I-56127 Pisa (Italy)
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Viale dell'Università 2, I-35020 Legnaro (Italy)
We report on a scheme for particle detection based on the infrared quantum counter concept. Its operation consists of a two-step excitation process of a four level system, which can be realized in rare earth-doped crystals when a cw pump laser is tuned to the transition from the second to the fourth level. The incident particle raises the atoms of the active material into a low lying, metastable energy state, triggering the absorption of the pump laser to a higher level. Following a rapid non-radiative decay to a fluorescent level, an optical signal is observed with a conventional detector. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of such a scheme, we have investigated the emission from the fluorescent level {sup 4}S{sub 3∕2} (540 nm band) in an Er{sup 3+}-doped YAG crystal pumped by a tunable titanium sapphire laser when it is irradiated with 60 keV electrons delivered by an electron gun. We have obtained a clear signature that this excitation increases the {sup 4}I{sub 13∕2} metastable level population that can efficiently be exploited to generate a detectable optical signal.
- OSTI ID:
- 22486064
- Journal Information:
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 107, Issue 19; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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