Ho 3+ codoping of GGAG:Ce: a detailed analysis of acceleration of scintillation response and scintillation efficiency loss

In this study, we investigate the effects of Ho codoping on the luminescence and scintillation properties of GGAG:Ce, with a particular focus on timing properties and scintillator efficiency. The research reveals that Ho codoping and subsequent resonant energy transfer from Ce to Ho can significantly reduce the 5d excited state decay time of Ce and shorten scintillation pulses of GGAG:Ce registered by using photomultipliers, although this reduces scintillator efficiency as well. The study presents a detailed analysis of the loss of scintillator efficiency due to Ho codoping, identifying the most significant loss pathways and estimating their impact. The findings suggest that Ho codoping is an effective method for accelerating the scintillation response of GGAG:Ce. Furthermore, the study presents a high level of consistency of the Ce kinetics with the Inokuti-Hirayama model and with results obtained in the previous studies on similar systems, demonstrating the predictability of the effect of RE codoping on scintillator properties.