High energy resolution scintillators having high light output

Abstract

A scintillator composition includes a matrix material, where the matrix material includes an alkaline earth metal and a lanthanide halide. The scintillator composition further includes an activator ion, where the activator ion is a trivalent ion. In one embodiment, the scintillator composition includes a matrix material represented by A 2 LnX 7 , where A includes an alkaline earth metal, Ln includes a lanthanide ion, and X includes a halide ion. In another embodiment, the scintillator composition includes a matrix material represented by ALnX 5 , where A includes an alkaline earth metal, Ln includes a lanthanide ion, and X includes a halide ion. In these embodiments, the scintillator composition includes an activator ion, where the activator ion includes cerium, or bismuth, or praseodymium, or combinations thereof.

1 . A scintillator composition comprising:
 a matrix material comprising:
 an alkaline earth metal; 
 a rare earth element halide, wherein the rare earth element halide comprises at least one rare earth element and at least one halide ion; and 
 wherein the matrix material is represented by A 2 LnX 7 , wherein A comprises the alkaline earth metal, wherein Ln comprises the rare earth element ion, and wherein X comprises the halide ion; and 
   an activator ion for the matrix material, wherein the activator ion comprises a trivalent ion.   
   
   
       2 . The scintillator composition of  claim 1 , wherein the scintillator composition is represented by A 2 Ln 1-m Ce m X 7 , wherein A comprises barium, wherein Ln comprises yttrium, or gadolinium, or both, and wherein X comprises chlorine, or bromine, or both, and wherein m ranges from about 0.02 to about 1. 
   
   
       3 . The scintillator composition of  claim 1 , wherein A comprises barium, wherein Ln comprises yttrium, or gadolinium, or both, and wherein X comprises chlorine, or bromine, or both, and wherein the activator ion comprises cerium. 
   
   
       4 . The scintillator composition of  claim 1 , wherein the scintillator composition produces visible photons in response to impinging radiation, wherein the impinging radiation includes X-ray radiation, or beta radiation, or gamma radiation, or combinations thereof. 
   
   
       5 . The scintillator composition of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one halide ion comprises chlorine and bromine, or bromine and iodine, or chlorine and iodine, or chlorine and bromine and iodine. 
   
   
       6 . The scintillator composition of  claim 1 , wherein the activator ion comprises cerium and bismuth, or bismuth and praseodymium, or cerium and bismuth and praseodymium. 
   
   
       7 . The scintillator composition of  claim 1 , wherein the alkaline earth metal comprises barium, or strontium, or calcium, or magnesium, or combinations thereof. 
   
   
       8 . The scintillator composition of  claim 1 , wherein the rare earth element ion comprises lanthanum, or yttrium, or gadolinium, or lutetium, or scandium, or combinations thereof. 
   
   
       9 . The scintillator composition of  claim 1 , wherein the halide ion comprises fluorine, or bromine, or chlorine, or iodine, or combinations thereof. 
   
   
       10 . The scintillator composition of  claim 1 , wherein the trivalent ion comprises cerium, or bismuth, or praseodymium, or combinations thereof. 
   
   
       11 . The scintillator composition of  claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of the alkaline earth metal to the rare earth element halide ranges from about 2.2:1 to about 1.8:1. 
   
   
       12 . The scintillator composition of  claim 1 , wherein a mole percentage of the activator ion in the matrix material ranges from about 0.1 mole percentage to about 20 mole percentage. 
   
   
       13 . The scintillator composition of  claim 1 , wherein the scintillator composition comprises a substantially monocrystalline form. 
   
   
       14 . The scintillator composition of  claim 1 , wherein the scintillator composition is substantially free of oxygen and oxygen containing compounds. 
   
   
       15 . A scintillator composition comprising:
 a matrix material represented by A 2 LnX 7 , wherein A comprises an alkaline earth metal, wherein Ln comprises a rare earth element ion, and wherein X comprises a halide ion; and   an activator ion for the matrix material, wherein the activator ion comprises cerium, or bismuth, or praseodymium, or combinations thereof,   wherein the scintillator composition produces visible photons in response to impinging radiation, wherein the impinging radiation includes X-ray radiation, or beta radiation, or gamma radiation, or combinations thereof.   
   
   
       16 . The scintillator composition of  claim 15 , wherein the scintillator composition is represented by A 2 Ln 1-m Ce m X 7 , wherein A comprises barium, wherein Ln comprises yttrium, or gadolinium, or both, and wherein X comprises chlorine, or bromine, or both, and wherein m ranges from about 0.02 to about 1. 
   
   
       17 . The scintillator composition of  claim 15 , wherein A comprises barium, or strontium, or calcium, or magnesium, or combinations thereof, wherein Ln comprises lanthanum, or yttrium, or gadolinium, or lutetium, or scandium, or combinations thereof, and wherein X comprises bromine, or chlorine, or iodine, or combinations thereof. 
   
   
       18 . The scintillator composition of  claim 15 , wherein the scintillator composition is substantially free of oxygen and oxygen containing compounds. 
   
   
       19 . The scintillator composition of  claim 15 , wherein the halide ion comprises chlorine and bromine, or bromine and iodine, or chlorine and iodine, or chlorine and bromine and iodine. 
   
   
       20 . The scintillator composition of  claim 15 , wherein the activator ion comprises cerium and bismuth, or bismuth and praseodymium, or cerium and bismuth and praseodymium. 
   
   
       21 . A detector element, comprising:
 a scintillator material configured to convert an incident radiation into photons, wherein the scintillator material comprises:
 a matrix material represented by A 2 LnX 7 , wherein A comprises an alkaline earth metal, wherein Ln comprises a rare earth element ion, and wherein X comprises a halide ion; 
 an activator ion for the matrix material, wherein the activator ion comprises cerium, or bismuth, or praseodymium, or combinations thereof; and 
   a photon detector optically coupled to the scintillator material and configured to convert the photons into electrical signals.   
   
   
       22 . The detector element of  claim 21 , wherein the alkaline earth metal comprises strontium, or calcium, or magnesium, or combinations thereof. 
   
   
       23 . The detector element of  claim 21 , wherein the detector element comprises a nuclear imaging detector. 
   
   
       24 . The detector element of  claim 21 , wherein the detector element comprises a positron emission tomography detector. 
   
   
       25 . The detector element of  claim 21 , wherein the detector element comprises a well-logging tool. 
   
   
       26 . A method of operation of a detector element comprising:
 transmitting radiation through an object;   receiving the radiation by a scintillator material to produce photons which are characteristic of the radiation, wherein the scintillator material comprises:
 a matrix material represented by A 2 LnX 7 , wherein A comprises an alkaline earth metal, wherein Ln comprises a rare earth element ion, and wherein X comprises a halide ion; 
 an activator ion for the matrix material, wherein the activator ion comprises cerium, or bismuth, or praseodymium, or combinations thereof; and 
   detecting the photons by a photon detector optically coupled to the scintillator material and configured to convert the photons into electrical signals.