LAUSR

Abstract We investigate the spectroscopic properties of praseodymium (Pr3+)-doped APLF glasses [ 20 Al ( PO 3 ) 3 − 80 LiF + x PrF 3 , x = 0.5  to 3.0 mol % ] to realize their potential application as scintillators for neutron detection. From the ultraviolet (UV) to the near infrared (NIR) region, the Pr3+-doped glasses exhibit absorption and emission peaks which correspond to the different interconfigurational 4f5d and intraconfigurational 4f transitions of Pr3+ ions usually located within different environments of the glass matrix. The spectroscopy results also indicate that Pr3+ ions in APLF have a 4f5d excited state configuration which overlaps with the 1S0 level of the 4f ground state configuration. Under 217 nm excitation, the 267 nm emissions of the Pr3+-doped APLF glasses which correspond to the 4f5d → 3H6 transition have fast lifetimes ranging from 16 . 0 to 19 . 7 ns . In contrast with emission intensities, the emission lifetimes are found to depend only on the doping concentration and not on the sample temperature. Our results suggest that Pr3+-doped APLF glasses can be used as neutron scintillators with robustness in a wide temperature range and with fast and intense emissions at low operating temperatures.