Neutron detection via thermoluminescence of Tb3+-doped Li2O–Al2O3–B2O3 glasses

Abstract

We fabricated Tb3+-doped Li2O–Al2O3–B2O3 glasses using 6Li or n Li and 10B or 11B (6Li–10B glass, 6Li–11B glass, nLi–10B glass, and nLi–11B glass) to develop a new thermoluminescent (TL) material for neutron detection and investigated the TL properties of these glasses after X-ray, He ion, and neutron irradiation. TL glow peaks were observed at 350 and 550 K after X-ray irradiation, at 390 and 550 K after He ion irradiation, and at 400 and 600 K after neutron irradiation. The TL intensities around 400 K for 6Li–10B glass, 6Li–11B glass, and n Li–10B glass after neutron irradiation were higher than that of n Li–11B glass, suggesting that the particles generated in 6Li(n, t)4He and 10B(n, α)7Li reactions efficiently induce TL. We observed neutron-induced TL in the range 1 × 107–5 × 108 neutrons cm−2, and the detectable minimum thermal neutron fluence of this glass was estimated to be approximately 4 × 106 neutrons cm−2.