Persistent luminescence in ZrO2:Eu3+ for radiation dosimetry

Persistent luminescence (PersL) in Eu 3+ -doped ZrO 2 was investigated as a potential alternative approach for radiation dosimetry under beta-particle irradiation. ZrO 2 :Eu 3+ powders with different dopant concentrations were synthesized by solid-state reaction and structurally characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, confirming the formation of monoclinic ZrO 2 and effective Eu 3+ incorporation. TL and PersL measurements reveal the presence of shallow trapping centers, mainly associated with a low-temperature TL glow peak at 61 °C, which are responsible for the PersL emission. The sample doped with 5 mol% Eu 3+ exhibits enhanced PersL intensity, a nearly linear dose–response in the range of 0.078 to 23.4 Gy, and improved repeatability over multiple irradiation–readout cycles. These results demonstrate that ZrO 2 :Eu 3+ is a promising candidate for persistent luminescence-based radiation dosimetry.