60 mm Diameter Lu $_{0.4}$ Gd $_{1.6}$ SiO $_{5}$ : Ce (LGSO) Single Crystals and Their Improved Scintillation Properties

We developed Lu0.4Gd1.6SiO5 (LGSO) crystal as a new scintillator for medical imaging applications. The size of the LGSO ingot obtained for this investigation was approximately 60 mm in diameter and 170 mm in length. The as-grown crystal was yellow in color. To eliminate the tint, the crystal was annealed in pure N2 atmosphere after the growth. As a result, the LGSO became colorless with uniform and large light output which is about 2.0 times that of GSO