Structure and properties of lanthanide halides

F. P. Doty; Douglas McGregor; Mark Harrison; Kip Findley; Raulf Polichar

doi:10.1117/12.740849

2 October 2007 Structure and properties of lanthanide halides

F. P. Doty, Douglas McGregor, Mark Harrison, Kip Findley, Raulf Polichar

Proceedings Volume 6707, Penetrating Radiation Systems and Applications VIII; 670705 (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.740849
Event: Optical Engineering + Applications, 2007, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Lanthanum and cerium bromides and chlorides form isomorphous alloy systems with the UCl₃ type structure. These scintillating alloys exhibit high luminosity and proportional response, making them the first scintillators comparable to room temperature semiconductors for gamma spectroscopy; Ce(III) activated lanthanum bromide has recently enabled scintillating gamma ray spectrometers with < 3% FWHM energy resolutions at 662 keV. However brittle fracture of these materials impedes development of large volume crystals. Low fracture stress and perfect cleavage along prismatic planes cause material cracking during and after crystal growth. These and other properties pose challenges for material production and post processing; therefore, understanding mechanical behavior is key to fabricating large single crystals, and engineering of robust detectors and systems. Recent progress on basic structure and properties of the lanthanide halides is reported here, including thermomechanical and thermogravimetric analyses, hygroscopicity, yield strength, and fracture toughness. Observations including reversible hydrate formation under atmospheric pressure, loss of stoichiometry at high temperature, anisotropic thermal expansion, reactivity towards common crucible materials, and crack initiation and propagation under applied loads are reported. The fundamental physical and chemical properties of this system introduce challenges for material processing, scale-up, and detector fabrication. Analysis of the symmetry and crystal structure of this system suggests possible mechanisms for deformation and crack initiation under stress. The low c/a ratio and low symmetry relative to traditional scintillators indicate limited and highly anisotropic plasticity cause redistribution of residual process stress to cleavage planes, initiating fracture. This proposed failure mechanism and its implications for scale up to large diameter crystal growth are also discussed.

Citation Download Citation

F. P. Doty, Douglas McGregor, Mark Harrison, Kip Findley, and Raulf Polichar "Structure and properties of lanthanide halides", Proc. SPIE 6707, Penetrating Radiation Systems and Applications VIII, 670705 (2 October 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.740849

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