Scintillators based on aromatic dye molecules doped in a sol-gel glass host

Ultraviolet and x-ray excited luminescence of fluorescein and rhodamine-6G doped sol-gel glasses were studied at room temperature with the aim of characterizing and understanding the scintillation performance of such materials. Fast energy transfer from the glass host to the dye luminescent centers was found. While the, overall radioluminescence efficiency was rather low due to nonradiative losses in the glass host, our results demonstrate the potential of sol-gel technology as a versatile tool in controlling the spectral and time response of such unusual organic-inorganic scintillators. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.