Ce:LuAG Scintillator Crystal—A scintillation material suitable for high-power laser lighting

Cerium-activated LuAG was proposed as a proper candidate scintillator and a potential phosphor to make white light-emitting diodes. Single crystal Ce:LuAG has better detection rate than isostructural cerium-activated yttrium aluminum garnet (Ce:YAG) because of its higher density  and higher effective atomic number. Ce:LuAG was significantly better than the other phosphors with respect to the thermal quenching. In addition, the luminescence spectrum of Ce:LuAG contains a large enough green component. Ce:LuAG single crystals are also widely used as scintillation detectors for γ-rays and high energy particles. The latest generation Ce:LuAG crystal shows a high light yield up to 26,000 pH/MeV, which has been considered as potential candidate in PET scanners due to the six times shorter decay time and almost identical density. Besides, Ce:LuAG has excellent physical and chemical performances and optical isotropy, making it a potential optical host material.

During last two decades, white-light sources has advanced rapidly and show great potential to replace conventional lighting sources like incandescent, fluorescent and high-intensity discharge lamps. It is essential for color converters for white-light sources to possess a high thermal conductivity, high reliability, and low thermal quenching. Ce:LuAG color converters are suitable for high-power laser lighting. It is an effective way to reduce the thermal quenching of phosphor is to use Ce:LuAG phosphor as well as achieving a higher color rendering index (CRI). Meanwhile, based on high density, high effective atomic number, short decay time and excellent energy resolution, Ce:LuAG single crystals are widely used as scintillation detectors for γ-rays and high energy particles.