Nanoparticles of K2Ca2(SO4)3:Eu as effective detectors for swift heavy ions

Abstract

The modification of thermoluminescence (TL) and photoluminescence (PL) properties of K2Ca2(SO4)3:Eu nanoparticles by swift heavy ions (SHI), irradiation is studied. Pellets form of the nanomaterials were irradiated by 48 MeV Li3+, 75 MeV C6+, and 90 MeV O7+ ion beams. The fluence range is 1×109−1×1013 ions/cm2. The modification in TL glow curves of the nanomaterials irradiated by Li3+, C6+, and O7+ ion beams are essentially similar to those induced by γ-ray irradiation. These glow curves have single peaks at around 427 K with a small variation in their positions by around ±3 K. The TL intensity of the ion beams irradiated nanomaterials is found to decease, while going from low to high atomic number (Z) ions (i.e., Li3+→O7+). The TL response curve of the pellets irradiated by Li3+ ions is linear in the whole range of studied fluences. The curves for C6+ and O7+ irradiated samples are linear at lower fluences (1×109–1×1012 ion/cm2) and then saturate at higher fluence. These results for the nanomaterials are much better than that of the corresponding microcrystalline samples irradiated with a Li3+ ion. The curves were linear up to the fluence 1×1011 ion/cm2 and then become sublinear at higher fluences. The TL efficiency values of K2Ca2(SO4)3:Eu nanoparticles irradiated by 48 MeV Li3+, 75 MeV C6+, and 90 MeV O7+ ion beams have been measured relative to γ rays of C60o and are found to be 0.515, 0.069, and 0.019, respectively. This value for the Li3+ ion (0.515) is much higher than that of the corresponding microcrystalline material (0.0014). These superiorities for the nanomaterials make K2Ca2(SO4)3:Eu nanophosphor a suitable candidate for detecting the doses of swift heavy ions. PL studies on the ion beams irradiated and unirradiated K2Ca2(SO4)3:Eu nanoparticles show a single band at 384 nm, which could be assigned to Eu2+ emission, while the microcrystalline form of this material shows emission at 436 nm. This wide blueshift in PL of the nanomaterial could be attributed to the extension of the band gap of Eu2+ due to the absence of crystal field effects.