Thermoluminescence in some copper-doped compounds

Cu+-doped phosphors are of interest due to applications as blue phosphors. ZnS: Cu, SrMgPO4 and Ca3PO4 [1, 2] are some examples of highly efficient blue phosphors. In most of these phosphors the emission from the Cu+ ion comes from 3d(9)4s(1) <----> 3d(10) transitions. Schemes for using this emission for lasing [3, 4] as well as for X-ray imaging [5-7] have been proposed. Cu+ emission has also been used in thermoluminescence, (TL) dosimetry phosphors such as Li2B4O7 [8, 9] and LiF: Mg,Cu,P [10]. The number of hosts in which copper can be doped in Cu+ form [11-13] is limited. Studies on Li2B4O7:Cu [14] and LiF: Mg,Cu,P [ 15] have shown that Cu enters into these hosts in monovalent form. A good correlation has been obtained between the presence of Cu+ and TL sensitivity. Thus it seems that Cu+-doped materials may prove to be good TL phosphors. Recently we were able to dope Cu+ in a variety of lattices [16], such as BaLiPO4, SrLiPO4, LiNaSO4, BaFCl and Li3PO4. Data for TL, TL emission spectra and the correlation between photoluminescence, (PL) and TL emission spectra in these materials are presented in this paper. (C) 2003 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.