Optically stimulated luminescence in state-of-the-art LYSO:Ce scintillators enables high spatial resolution 3D dose imaging

Abstract

Abstract In this contribution, we study the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) exhibited by commercial $$\hbox {Lu}_{(2-x)}\hbox {Y}_x\hbox {SiO}_5$$ Lu ( 2 - x ) Y x SiO 5 :Ce crystals. This photon emission mechanism, complementary to scintillation, can trap a fraction of radiation energy deposited in the material and provides sufficient signal to develop a novel post-irradiation 3D dose readout. We characterize the OSL emission through spectrally and temporally resolved measurements and monitor the dose linearity response over a broad range. The measurements show that the $$\hbox {Ce}^{3+}$$ Ce 3 + centers responsible for scintillation also function as recombination centers for the OSL mechanism. The capture to OSL-active traps competes with scintillation originating from the direct non-radiative energy transfer to the luminescent centers. An OSL response on the order of 100 ph/MeV is estimated. We demonstrate the imaging capabilities provided by such an OSL photon yield using a proof-of-concept optical readout method. A 0.1 $$\hbox {mm}^3$$ mm 3 spatial resolution for doses as low as 0.5 Gy is projected using a cubic crystal to image volumetric dose profiles. While OSL degrades the intrinsic scintillating performance by reducing the number of scintillation photons emitted following the passage of ionizing radiation, it can encode highly resolved spatial information of the interaction point of the particle. This feature combines ionizing radiation spectroscopy and 3D reusable dose imaging in a single material.