Luminescence dosimetry is the process of quantifying the absorbed dose of ionizing radiation using detectors that exhibit luminescence. The luminescence intensity scales with energy absorbed from the radiation field. Calibration enables conversion of the luminescence intensity to the quantity of interest, for example the absorbed dose, kerma and personal dose equivalent. The different techniques available — thermoluminescence (TL), optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiophotoluminescence (RPL) — share a common theoretical framework. Alongside applications in radiation protection, including personal dosimetry and area monitoring, luminescence dosimetry is also used in industry, research and medicine. Examples include quality assurance in radiation therapy, mapping of radiation levels in new accelerators, the estimation of ionizing radiation dose to organs in medicine and accidents, and the characterization of the radiation environment in space. The objective of this Primer is to summarize the fundamental concepts of luminescence dosimetry, the main experimental considerations, analysis procedures, typical results, applications and limitations, with an outlook into potential future advances.

The quest for new materials for thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimetry continues to be a central line of research in luminescence dosimetry, occupying many groups and investigators, and is the topic of many publications. Nevertheless, it has also been a research area with many pitfalls, slow advances in our understanding of the luminescence processes, and rare improvements over existing materials. Therefore, this paper reviews the status of the field with the goal of addressing some fundamental questions: Is there a need for new luminescence materials for TL/OSL dosimetry? Can these materials be designed and, if so, are there strategies or rules that can be followed? What are the common pitfalls and how can they be avoided? By discussing these questions, we hope to contribute to a more guided approach to the development of new luminescent materials for dosimetry applications.