Luminescence of doped lithium tetraborate single crystals and glass

Abstract Lithium tetraborate single crystal doped with Cu seems to be a promising new material for neutron detection. With the presence of Li and B, both having large cross section for neutron capture, efficient neutron detection is expected with high-energy deposits. In the present work, we chose 14 different dopants from Ia, Ib, IIIa, IVa and Va groups in the periodic table besides the rare earth Ce ion. The crystals were grown to a size of 20 mm in diameter and 70 mm in length by vertical Bridgman method. The grown crystals were characterized by optical transmittance and excitation–emission studies. Transmittance and emission characteristics of Ce-doped lithium borate glass are also reported.