Study on the thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence of LiMgPO4:Dy phosphors synthesized by different methods

LiMgPO4:Dy phosphors were synthesized by high-temperature solid-state method and sol-gel method. The effects of different synthesis methods on crystal structure, morphology, thermoluminescence (TL) properties, and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) properties of LiMgPO4:Dy were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), TL glow curve and continuous wave OSL (CW-OSL) curves. XRD patterns showed that the crystal phase of the samples synthesized by the two methods is LiMgPO4. The morphology of the samples synthesized by sol-gel method was better than that synthesized by high-temperature solid-state method. The TL sensitivity of the samples synthesized by sol-gel method was higher than that synthesized by high-temperature solid-state method. The TL strongest glow peak of the LiMgPO4:Dy sample synthesized by high-temperature solid-state method was 363 K, while that the LiMgPO4:Dy sample synthesized by sol-gel method was 380 K. The OSL sensitivity of the samples synthesized by sol-gel method was significantly higher than that synthesized by high-temperature solid-state method. The synthesis method had no effect on the OSL decay of the sample. LiMgPO4:Dy phosphor synthesized by sol-gel method may be a suitable candidate material for radiation dosimetry. •We compared the properties of TL and OSL of LiMgPO4 and LiMgPO4:Dy synthesized by different methods.•The samples synthesized by sol-gel method have higher sensitivity of TL and OSL.•The preparation method had no effect on the OSL decay of the sample.•OSL sensitivity of LiMgPO4:Dy have been reported for the first time.