Lutetium based oxyorthosilicate scintillators codoped with transition metals

Abstract

Codoped lutetium-based oxyorthosilicate scintillators (e.g., lutetium oxyorthosilicase (LSO) and lutetium-ytrrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) scintillators) codoped with transition metal ions (e.g., Cu2+) are described. The codoping can alter one or more optical and/or scintillation property of the scintillator material. For example, the codoping can increase scintillation light yield and/or decrease scintillation decay time. Radiation detectors comprising the scintillators, methods of detecting high energy radiation using the radiation detectors, and methods of altering one or more scintillation and/or optical properties of a lutetium-based oxyorthosilicate scintillator are also described.

1 . A scintillator material comprising lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) doped with 0.1 atomic % cerium (Ce) and codoped with 0.3 atomic % copper (Cu). 
     
     
         2 . The scintillator material of  claim 1 , wherein said material is a single crystal, polycrystalline, or a ceramic material. 
     
     
         3 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A radiation detector comprising the scintillator material of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         19 . The radiation detector of  claim 18 , wherein the detector is a medical diagnostic device, a device for oil exploration, and/or a device for container, vehicle, human, animal, or baggage scanning. 
     
     
         20 . The radiation detector of  claim 18 , wherein the medical diagnostic device is a positron emission tomography (PET) device, a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) device or a planar nuclear medical imaging device. 
     
     
         21 . A method of detecting gamma rays, X-rays, cosmic rays, and particles having an energy of 1 keV or greater, the method comprising using the radiation detector of  claim 18 . 
     
     
         22 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method of altering one or more scintillation and/or optical properties of a lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO), the method comprising preparing the scintillator in the presence of a Ce dopant ion and a codopant ion, wherein the codopant ion is a Cu ion present at 0.3 atomic % , and wherein preparing the scintillator in the presence of the Ce dopant ion and the codopant ion provides a scintillator with decreased scintillation decay time as compared to a scintillator prepared in the presence of the dopant ion and in the absence of the codopant ion. 
     
     
         30 - 32 . (canceled)