Studies on electron traps in NaI: Tl scintillating crystal by thermoluminescence

Abstract

This work presents the trap spectroscopy of a NaI: Tl single crystal used in an old commercial (discarded) detector. Our rigorous analysis by deconvolution shows the presence of three discrete trap levels of depth 1.05 ± 0.01, 1.27 ± 0.00 and 1.31 ± 0.01 eV. A critical discussion on the physics of thermoluminescence in NaI: Tl is presented to help develop a better scintillator in sodium iodide (NaI) activated thallium (Tl) as an activator and other activator coupled with co-activators, something that is being used recently in novel phosphor.