Luminescence mechanism and energy transfer in doubly-doped BaY2F8:Tm,Nd VUV scintillator

Doubly-doped BaY2F8:Tm,Nd scintillation crystals were grown by modified micro-pulling-down method. Nd co-doping was chosen to enhance the energy transfer from the host lattice to the Nd3+ luminescence center via the 5d-levels of Tm3+, due to the overlap of Tm3+ 5d-4f emission spectrum with the Nd3+ 4f-5d absorption. The energy transfer was clearly evidenced in the BaY2F8:Tm,Nd. This process is not complicated by an energy migration to killer centers and/or cross-relaxation. The radioluminescence process is complicated by an energy transfer from the host lattice exciton states to the lower f-levels of Tm3+ ion.