Hole Self-Trapping in Y3Al5O12 and

Scintillators based on the oxides known as garnets receive considerable interest, due to their extensive use in medical imaging, monitoring radiation and particle beams in high-energy and nuclear physics, and still other devices. The complex scintillation mechanism in these materials can be hampered, and their performance downgraded, by the localization of charge carriers in the host structure before they can reach the emission centers. This paper provides detailed insight into both the hole and electron localization mechanisms in the garnet structure, thus contributing to our further understanding and optimization of this entire family of scintillators.