Abstract
The modification of thermoluminescence (TL) and photoluminescence (PL) properties of
K
2
Ca
2
(
SO
4
)
3
:
Eu
nanoparticles by swift heavy ions (SHI), irradiation is studied. Pellets form of the nanomaterials were irradiated by 48 MeV
Li
3
+
, 75 MeV
C
6
+
, and 90 MeV
O
7
+
ion beams. The fluence range is
1
×
10
9
−
1
×
10
13
ions
/
cm
2
. The modification in TL glow curves of the nanomaterials irradiated by
Li
3
+
,
C
6
+
, and
O
7
+
ion beams are essentially similar to those induced by
γ
-ray irradiation. These glow curves have single peaks at around 427 K with a small variation in their positions by around
±
3
K
. The TL intensity of the ion beams irradiated nanomaterials is found to decease, while going from low to high atomic number
(
Z
)
ions (i.e.,
Li
3
+
→
O
7
+
). The TL response curve of the pellets irradiated by
Li
3
+
ions is linear in the whole range of studied fluences. The curves for
C
6
+
and
O
7
+
irradiated samples are linear at lower fluences
(
1
×
10
9
-
1
×
10
12
ion
/
cm
2
)
and then saturate at higher fluence. These results for the nanomaterials are much better than that of the corresponding microcrystalline samples irradiated with a
Li
3
+
ion. The curves were linear up to the fluence
1
×
10
11
ion
/
cm
2
and then become sublinear at higher fluences. The TL efficiency values of
K
2
Ca
2
(
SO
4
)
3
:
Eu
nanoparticles irradiated by 48 MeV
Li
3
+
, 75 MeV
C
6
+
, and 90 MeV
O
7
+
ion beams have been measured relative to
γ
rays of
C
60
o
and are found to be 0.515, 0.069, and 0.019, respectively. This value for the
Li
3
+
ion (0.515) is much higher than that of the corresponding microcrystalline material (0.0014). These superiorities for the nanomaterials make
K
2
Ca
2
(
SO
4
)
3
:
Eu
nanophosphor a suitable candidate for detecting the doses of swift heavy ions. PL studies on the ion beams irradiated and unirradiated
K
2
Ca
2
(
SO
4
)
3
:
Eu
nanoparticles show a single band at 384 nm, which could be assigned to
Eu
2
+
emission, while the microcrystalline form of this material shows emission at 436 nm. This wide blueshift in PL of the nanomaterial could be attributed to the extension of the band gap of
Eu
2
+
due to the absence of crystal field effects.