AbstractThe efficiency of X-ray-induced scintillation in glasses roughly depends on both the effective atomic number Z_eff and the photoluminescence quantum efficiency Q_eff of glass, which are useful tools for searching high-performance phosphors. Here, we demonstrate that the energy transfer from host to activators is also an important factor for attaining high scintillation efficiency in Ce-doped oxide glasses. The scintillation intensity of glasses with coexisting fractions of Ce³⁺ and Ce⁴⁺ species is found to be higher than that of a pure-Ce³⁺-containing glass with a lower Z_eff value. Values of total attenuation of each sample indicate that there is a non-linear correlation between the scintillation intensity and the product of total attenuation and Q_eff. The obtained results illustrate the difficulty in understanding the luminescence induced by ionizing radiation, including the energy absorption and subsequent energy transfer. Our findings may provide a new approach for synthesizing novel scintillators by tailoring the local structure.