Crystal growth and characterization of 1-inch GTAGG: Ce single crystal for sub-micron resolution synchrotron radiation X-ray imaging
A high-performance Ce<sup>3+</sup>-doped (Gd, Tb)<sub>3</sub>(Ga, Al)<sub>5</sub>O<sub>12</sub> (GTAGG: Ce) single crystal was engineered and characterized, demonstrating a high application potential for advanced X-ray imaging. A transparent 1-inch diameter single crystal was grown using the Czochralski method, demonstrating a significant advancement in large-scale scintillator production. Comprehensive characterization using X-ray diffraction and electron probe micro-analysis confirmed the crystal's structural integrity. Photoluminescence and radioluminescence spectroscopy demonstrated efficient bidirectional energy transfer between Ce<sup>3+</sup> and Tb<sup>3+</sup> ions, a critical mechanism enhancing the performance of the scintillator. X-ray imaging tests were performed using crystals with a thickness of 100 μm at the Aichi Synchrotron Radiation Center. Comparison with the industry-standard LuAG: Ce scintillator showed that the GTAGG: Ce crystal produced 2.4 times higher light output and achieved a high spatial resolution of 0.85 μm. The results indicated that GTAGG: Ce is suitable for the next generation of high-performance X-ray imaging detectors in scientific and medical imaging applications.
Authors
- Kohei Nakanishi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3135-1017)
- Karol Bartosiewicz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3363-8505)
- Takashi Hanada (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5107-8567)
- Masao Yoshino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3162-6375)
- Kei Kamada (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5288-1688)
- Akira Yoshikawa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1732-5202)
- Akihiro Yamaji (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5124-5559)
- Takahiko Horiai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6679-3870)
- Rikito Murakami (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2825-4243)
- Yuui Yokota (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6556-9914)
- Liudmila Gushchina
- Hiroki Sato (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1629-6056)
- J. Kataoka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2819-6415)
- Seiichi Yamamoto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1280-0043)
- Kyoung Jin Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2387-2410)
- Ohashi Yuji
- Kazuya Omuro
- Shunsuke Kurosawa
Institutions
- Waseda University (JP)
- Tohoku University (JP)
- Institute for Laser Technology (JP)
- Institute of Physics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SK)
- Nagoya University (JP)
- The University of Osaka (JP)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Published
- 2025-04-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-96031-5
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Radiation Detection and Scintillator Technologies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.88
Funders
- New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization
- Narodowym Centrum Nauki
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- Division of Materials Research
- Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology
- HORIZON EUROPE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions