Near-infrared scintillation characteristics of Nd3+-activated La2O3–TiO2–TeO2 glass and glass ceramics

• The Nd 3+ -activated tellurite glass and glass ceramics were fabricated for NIR scintillators. • The tellurite glass and glass ceramics exhibited NIR luminescence owing to the transitions of Nd 3+ . • The measurable X-ray dose rate limit of the tellurite glass ceramic was 0.5 mGy/h. We fabricated a tellurite glass (NLTT) having a composition of 1Nd 2 O 3 –10La 2 O 3 –10TiO 2 –79TeO 2 and its corresponding glass ceramics (NLTT490 and NLTT500), and investigated the luminescence characteristics for near-infrared (NIR) emitting scintillators. NLTT490 and NLTT500 were obtained through a heat treatment process of NLTT at 490 °C and 500 °C for 24 hours, respectively. Clear photoluminescence and scintillation peaks appeared in the NIR wavelength region, and the peak positions were consistent with those due to the Nd 3+ f–f electronic transitions. The photoluminescence quantum yields were 46 % for NLTT, 40 % for NLTT490, and 41 % for NLTT500, showing a slight decrease by the heat treatment. All samples exhibited an almost linear relationship between the dose rate and the NIR intensity under X-ray. The heat treatment led to increase the intensity of NIR scintillation, and NLTT500 exhibited a minimum measurable dose rate (0.5 mGy/h), which was lower than that of Nd 3+ -activated Bi 4 Si 3 O 12 and GdVO₄ single crystals.