Radiation detection technology is critical in medical diagnosis, high-energy physics experiments, nuclear environmental monitoring, and radiation safety protection. Its technological iteration stems from innovations in high-performance radiation detection materials. Traditional materials often have narrow dose–response intervals, insufficient high-precision measurement capability, low spatial resolution, and poor stability, failing to meet high-precision detection requirements. Ag-doped phosphate glass (Ag-PG), based on radio-photoluminescence (RPL), effectively addresses these limitations with its comprehensive advantages: high radiation sensitivity, a wide linear dose–response range, submicron spatial resolution for radiation imaging, write-erase-rewrite capability, and visualized dose monitoring potential, and it also boasts significant fundamental research value and engineering application prospects. Specifically, while existing RPL reviews mainly provide a comprehensive analysis from the perspective of RPL and present typical RPL material systems, this paper systematically analyzes the structural characteristics of the Ag-PG matrix and the coordination configuration and site occupation of Ag ions. It clarifies RPL luminescence properties, dose–response mechanisms, and the evolution of luminescence centers, while reviewing advancements in applications such as radiation dose detection and high-resolution X-ray imaging. By summarizing the current research status, technical advantages and existing challenges of Ag-PG, this study provides theoretical references and conceptual insights to promote breakthroughs in its fundamental research and practical applications in high-precision radiation dose detection, advanced medical imaging, micro-nano-scale radiation detection, and nuclear industry non-destructive testing.
Gu et al. (Sat,) studied this question.