The Ce-doped (Lu y Gd 1Àx ) 3 (Ga y ,Al 1Ày ) 5 O 12 single crystals were grown by the micropulling down method. Their structure and chemical composition were checked by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) techniques. Optical, luminescent, and scintillation characteristics were measured by the methods of time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy, including the light yield and scintillation decay. Balanced Gd and Ga admixture into the Lu 3 Al 5 O 12 structure provided an excellent scintillator where the effect of shallow traps was suppressed, the spectrally corrected light yield value exceeded 40 000 photons/MeV, and scintillation decay was dominated by a 53 ns decay time value which is close to that of Ce 3+ photoluminescence decay. This study provides an excellent example of a combinatorial approach where targeted single-crystal compositions are obtained by a flexible, time saving, and cost-effective crystal growth technique.

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Ce-doped (Y y Gd1−y )3(Ga x Al1−x )5O12(x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and y = 1, 2, 3) single crystals are grown by the micro-pulling down method. X-ray diffraction and electron probe microanalysis techniques are employed to check their structure and chemical composition, respectively. Optical and photoluminescence characteristics are measured and radioluminescence spectra, light yield and scintillation decay measurements are further made to evaluate the scintillation performance. We show that balanced Gd and Ga admixture in the Y3Al5O12 structure can considerably increase the scintillation efficiency, and the spectrally corrected light yield value exceeds 44 000 photon MeV−1. Scintillation decay times approach that of Ce3+ photoluminescence decay and an additional less intense slower component is also observed. Physical aspects of energy transfer process and 5d1 excited state depopulation are discussed. The micro-pulling down technique is shown as an ideal tool for a directed combinatorial search for targeted single crystal compositions to reveal those with the highest figure-of-merit for a given application field.

2inch size Ce1%:Gd 3 (Al 1-x Ga x) 5 O 12 (GAGG) single crystals with various Ga concentration of x=2, 2.4, 2.7 and 3 were grown by the Czochralski (Cz) method. Light yield has maximum value of 58000 photon/MeV at x=2.7 Ga concentration. Energy resolution was improved with decreasing Ga concentration and x=2.4 sample showed best energy resolution of 4.2%@662keV. The dependence of scintillation properties on crystal structure and AlGa was discussed.

A series of 3,4-propylenedioxythiophene (ProDOT) oligomers (nP(Hex)) with dihexyl side chains and methylthio end-capping units was synthesized as a model of poly(3,4-alkylenedioxythiophene)s. The slope of the linear relationship between the energy of the absorption maxima of nP(Hex) in the neutral states and the reciprocal of the number of monomer units (1/n) was found to be comparable to that of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) oligomers, suggesting that both the ProDOT and the EDOT oligomers have a similar effective conjugation. In cyclic voltammetry measurements, both the first and second oxidation waves and the third and fourth waves were shown to merge into one peak with increasing chain length. The stepwise chemical oxidations of nP(Hex) with SbCl(5) in CH(2)Cl(2) at room temperature gave their stable cationic species in various oxidation states, and it was found that only the radical cations (polarons) have an obvious absorption band in the visible region. Interestingly, when the absorption spectra of tetramer radical cation 4P(Hex)(+·) were measured at low temperatures, reversible disproportionation into dication 4P(Hex)(2+) and neutral species 4P(Hex) was observed in addition to π-dimer formation. Furthermore, the radical cations of the longer oligomers showed only the disproportionation reaction. From the comparisons of the results of experiments and the theoretical calculations of the dications, 6P(Hex)(2+) was found to have a closed-shell nature, and only a weak singlet biradical character appeared even in longer oligomers 10P(Hex)(2+) and 12P(Hex)(2+). Overall, the electron-donating dioxy substituents are considered to stabilize high p-doping levels with closed-shell dication (bipolaron) structures in poly(3,4-alkylenedioxythiophene)s, which enables the transparency properties of the polymers.