Thermoluminescence in LiF crystals and the role of impurities

Eight nominally pure lithium fluoride crystals, obtained from a single LiF crystal containing less than 100 ppm impurities, were irradiated by gamma-rays from a 60Co source at room temperature, with doses from 8.4 to 2.5 × 105 Gy, but one at -60 °C. Optical density measurements were performed to investigate the radiation-induced color centres (CCs) and to evaluate their concentrations. Thermoluminescence (TL) glow curves were collected and simulated by a first-order kinetics approach, and from the best-fit procedure ten glow peaks (GPs) spanning from 100 to 450 °C were highlighted. A comparative analysis of GP intensities and CC concentrations as a function of the irradiation dose has questioned their association as obtained in previous measurements, showing the impurities, less than 1018 cm-3, still playing a predominant role in TL spectra. New measurements on LiF crystals more pure, at least an order of magnitude, are required to establish for sure the association of GPs to CCs.