The dosimetric phosphors Li_3PO_4:M(M=Tb, Cu) were produced by modified solid-state method.The structural and morphological characterization was carried out through X-ray diffraction(XRD) and scanning electron microscope(SEM). Additionally, the photoluminescence(PL), thermoluminescence(TL) and optically stimulated luminescence(OSL) properties of powder Li_3PO_4 doped with Tb and Cu were studied. It is advocated that Li_3PO_4: Cu phosphor not only shows higher OSL sensitivity(25 times or more) but also gives faster decay in OSL signals than that of Li_3PO_4: Tb~(3+) phosphor. The minimum detectable dose(MDD) of Li_3PO_4:M(M=Tb,Cu) phosphors is found to be 21.69 × 10~(-3) and 3.33 ×10~(-6) J·kg~(-1),respectively. In OSL mode, phosphor shows linear dose response in the range of 0.02-20.00 J·kg~(-1).In TL mode, sensitivity of Li_3PO_4: Cu phosphor is more than that of Li_3PO_4: Tb phosphor. The kinetics parameters such as activation energy and frequency factors were determined by peak shape method, and photoionization cross sections of prepared phosphor were calculated. The dosimetric phosphors Li 3 PO 4: M (M = Tb, Cu) were produced by modified solid-state method. The structural and morphological characterization was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) (PL), thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) properties of powder Li 3PO 4 doped with Tb and Cu were studied. It is advocated that Li 3 PO 4: Cu phosphor not only shows higher OSL sensitivity (25 times or more) but also gives faster decay in OSL signals than that of Li 3 PO 4: Tb 3+ phosphor. The minimum detectable dose (MDD) of Li 3PO 4: M (M = Tb, Cu) phosphors was found to be 21.69 × 10 -3 3.33 × 10 -6 J · kg -1, respectively. In OSL mode, the phosphor shows linear dose response in the range of 0.02-20.00 J · kg -1. In TL mode, sensitivity of Li_3PO_4: Cu phosphor is more than that of Li_3PO_4: Tb phosphor. The kinetics parameters such as activation energy and frequency factors were determined by peak shape method, and photoionization cross sections of prepared phosphor were calculated.