Ho 3+ codoping of GGAG:Ce: a detailed analysis of acceleration of scintillation response and scintillation efficiency loss.

In this study, we investigate the effects of Ho 3+ codoping on the luminescence and scintillation properties of GGAG:Ce, with a particular focus on timing properties and scintillator efficiency. The research reveals that Ho 3+ codoping and subsequent resonant energy transfer from Ce 3+ to Ho 3+ can significantly reduce the 5d 1 excited state decay time of Ce 3+ and shorten scintillation pulses of GGAG:Ce registered by using photomultipliers, although this reduces scintillator efficiency as well. The study presents a detailed analysis of the loss of scintillator efficiency due to Ho 3+ codoping, identifying the most significant loss pathways and estimating their impact. The findings suggest that Ho 3+ codoping is an effective method for accelerating the scintillation response of GGAG:Ce. Furthermore, the study presents a high level of consistency of the Ce 3+ kinetics with the Inokuti-Hirayama model and with results obtained in the previous studies on similar systems, demonstrating the predictability of the effect of RE 3+ codoping on scintillator properties.