Positron annihilation study on ZnO-based scintillating glasses

Abstract

Positron lifetime of ZnO-based scintillating glasses (55 − x)SiO 2–45ZnO– xBaF 2 ( x = 5, 10, 15 mol%) were measured with a conventional fast–fast spectrometer. Three positron lifetime components τ 1, τ 2, and τ 3 are ∼0.23 ns, ∼0.45 ns, and ∼1.6 ns, respectively. All the three positron lifetime components first increase with increasing BaF 2 concentration from 5 mol% to 10 mol%, then decreases as BaF 2 further increases to 15 mol%. The result suggests that the glass sample with 10 mol% BaF 2 contains the highest defect density, and is in excellent agreement with glass chemistry, glass density, thermal properties, and calculated crystallinity. Therefore, positron annihilation lifetime measurement is an effective tool for analyzing defects in ZnO-based scintillating glasses.