Phosphorescence of SiO2 optical fibres doped with Ce3+ ions

Phosphorescence emitted by a new dosimetric system based on a SiO2 optical fibre doped with Ce3+ ions was investigated. The defects in the matrix that, acting as electron traps, originate the phosphorescence signal were studied by means of thermally stimulated luminescence in the temperature interval 313‐533 K. A continuous trap distribution with activation energies extending from 0.8 to 1.5 eV was observed. On the basis of these findings, the temperature dependence of the shape of isothermal phosphorescence decay was analysed and the corresponding spectrum was compared with that of radioluminescence. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)