Photoluminescence and thermoluminescence study of KCaSO4Cl doped with Dy and Ce synthesized by acid distillation method

Photoluminescence and thermoluminescence properties of KCaSO4Cl doped with dysprosium and cerium have been studied. Dy/Ce doped KCaSO4Cl phosphors were synthesized by the acid distillation method. The samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, PL and TL for structural, morphological and luminescence studies. The SEM image analysis of KCaSO4Cl phosphor shows nearly spherical particles with diameter varying between 3–10 μm. In the present host Dy3+ emission at 482 and 573 nm is observed due to 4F9/2→6H15/2 and 4F9/2→6H13/2 transition, respectively, whereas the PL emission spectra of KCaSO4Cl:Ce phosphor shows two luminescence bands at 307 nm and 326 nm and are attributed to the allowed inter configurational transitions from the 5d-level to the 2F5/2 and 2F7/2 levels of Ce3+ ion. Effect of annealing on the structure of the glow curve is investigated for KCaSO4Cl:Dy phosphors. Thermoluminescence linearity has been studied for 0.1–9000 Gy dose of gamma rays. Linear behavior over a large dose range between 0.1 Gy and 170 Gy was found. In addition to this trap parameters of KCaSO4Cl:Dy were studied using computerized glow curve deconvolution.