Design and fabrication of Tb3+ doped Gd2O3-WO3-SiO2 scintillating glass

Developing novel scintillating glass with high density and intense radioluminescence is of critical importance for various radiation-related technologies. In this paper, Tb-doped Gd2O3-WO3-SiO2 (GWS) scintillating glass was prepared and investigated. The optical and scintillation properties are explored. And the optimal concentration of Tb activators in glass excited by UV-light and X-ray is determined. Moreover, annealing glass enables a unique glass bleaching phenomenon. Benefitting from the increasement in transparency, a notable improvement in photoluminescence (-195% enhancement in intensity) and radioluminescence (-146% enhancement in intensity) could be realized. The optical and structural characterizations reveal a dramatic change of W chemical valance state from W5+ to W6+, which is supposed to govern the decoloring process. Our research indicates that Tb-doped GWS scintillating glass can be a potential candidate for X-ray monitoring.