Ce ³⁺ ‐activated Glass‐ceramics Scintillators With Exceptional Stability for Advanced X‐Ray Imaging Applications

Abstract Glass‐ceramic (GC) scintillators, due to the advantages of low cost, facile preparation, and shape customization, have garnered increasing scholarly interest, whereas developing GC scintillators that can effectively perform X‐ray imaging under harsh conditions remains a formidable challenge. Herein, the successful design of a Ce ³⁺ ‐doped GC transparent scintillator is reported, which combines exceptional X‐ray scintillation, afterglow induced by thermal stimulation after X‐ray irradiation ceases, and remarkable stability under diverse environmental, high‐radiation, and high‐temperature conditions. This material is achieved by incorporating Al powder as a reductant, Er ³⁺ as a glass modifier, and embedding Na ₅ Lu ₉ F ₃₂ nanocrystals into the glass matrix. The resultant scintillator displays an X‐ray excited luminescence (XEL) intensity reaching 98.2% of that of Bi ₄ Ge ₃ O ₁₂ . Notably, it demonstrates no damage even after repeated exposure to high‐power X‐ray radiation (12 W). Real‐time X‐ray imaging using the representative GC achieves a spatial resolution of up to 16.4 lp·mm ⁻¹ . Furthermore, high‐temperature time‐lapse X‐ray imaging, with a record resolution of 12 lp·mm ⁻¹ , is realized thanks to the Frenkel defects induced by X‐ray irradiation. Remarkably, the imaging information is preserved with high fidelity for up to 168 h after the cessation of X‐ray exposure. These groundbreaking findings foster the advancement of cutting‐edge X‐ray imaging based on Ce ³⁺ ‐activated scintillators.