Preparation and Optimization of Inorganic Crystals for the Detection of Ionizing Radiation

During the internship, the student will become familiar with the characterization and preparation of crystals for scintillation detectors of ionizing radiation. The crystals will be prepared using the modern micro-pulling-down method, which is currently available only at the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The influence of composition (stoichiometry) of gadolinium-gallium-aluminum garnet-based crystals Gd₃(Al,Ga)₅O₁₂ (GAGG) and lutetium-aluminum garnet-based crystals Lu₃Al₅O₁₂ (LuAG) on their luminescent and scintillation properties will be studied. Both material systems will be doped with the luminescent ion Ce³⁺. For LuAG crystals, the effect of growth conditions on the stoichiometry of the prepared crystal will also be investigated. The first phase of the internship will focus on the preparation of the crystals, while the second phase will involve the characterization of the prepared single crystals using optical and luminescent methods, including the measurement of absorption and photoluminescence spectra at room temperature. Based on the results, the materials’ compositions will be optimized to achieve desired parameters, such as high light yield or fast scintillation response. Optical characterizations in the second phase of the internship will be coordinated by Ing. Vítězslav Jarý, PhD.