Ab-Initio and Experimental Investigation of Ce-Doped Sr₂MgWO₆ and Sr₂ZnWO₆ Double Perovskite Oxides as Novel Scintillators

Scintillators are materials that emit light upon exposure to ionizing radiation and are essential components in radiation detection, medical imaging, and high-energy physics. While traditional scintillators are based on halide or garnet systems, the search for new, stable, and cost-effective alternatives remains an active area of research. The Sr₂MgWO₆ and Sr₂ZnWO₆ double perovskite oxides, already known phosphor hosts, offer excellent structural and compositional flexibility, making them promising candidates as scintillator hosts. In this work, we explore the effect of Ce doping as a pathway to transform these materials into efficient scintillators. Using first-principles calculations we show that Ce doping on the Sr-site introduces localized 4f states within the band gaps of both materials. These localized states can serve as radiative recombination centers essential for scintillation. Building upon our computational insights, we synthesized Ce-doped Sr₂MgWO₆ and Sr₂ZnWO₆ samples and carried out structural, and luminescence characterization. Preliminary photoluminescence measurements reveal Ce3+-related emission along with intrinsic emission from WO₆ octahedrons.