Luminescence of ZnMoO₄ Crystals Developed for the LUMINEU Double Beta Decay Experiment

Abstract:

Scintillation efficiency of ZnMoO₄ crystals is one of the main characteristics for application in cryogenic double beta decay experiments. Luminescence of ZnMoO₄ crystals developed from deeply purified molybdenum under X-ray irradiation of different doses was studied in the temperature interval from 1.4 K to 295 K. Emission spectra, dependence of luminescence intensity on dose and temperature, phosphorescence and thermally stimulated luminescence were investigated. Two emission bands were identified: recombination luminescence at ~ 600 nm and exciton luminescence at ~ 500 nm. We have found that concentration of shallow traps in the material is much greater than the concentration of deep traps. Furthermore only shallow traps absorb a small part of the luminescence and cause the low scintillation efficiency of the sample.

• Periodical: Solid State Phenomena (Volume 230)
• Pages: 184-192
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/SSP.230.184
• Online since: June 2015
• Authors: V.Ya. Degoda*, F.A. Danevich, N. Coron, I.M. Ivanov, Ya.P. Kogut, E.P. Makarov, P. de Marcillac, S.G. Nasonov, L. Torres, V.I. Tretyak, V.N. Shlegel, Ya.V. Vasiliev, M. Velazquez, V.N. Zhdankov
• Keywords: Cryogenic Scintillators, Double Beta Decay, X-Ray Luminescence, ZnMoO₄ Crystals

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