Self-trapped exciton luminescence in crystalline α-quartz under two-photon laser excitation

• Published in: Solid state communications Vol. 127; no. 9; pp. 655 - 659
• Main Authors: Trukhin, Anatoly, Kink, Margarita, Maksimov, Yuri, Kink, Rein
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: A. α-Quartz; B. Laser excitation; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; E. Luminescence; E. Self-trapped exciton; Electron states; Exact sciences and technology; Excitons and related phenomena; Frenkel excitons and self-trapped excitons; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Other solid inorganic materials; Photoluminescence; Physics; 71.35.Aa; E. Luminescence; 78.47.+p; 61.82.−d; 78.60.Hk; B. Laser excitation; 78.60.−b; 61.66.−f; E. Self-trapped exciton; A. α-Quartz; Temperature dependence; Self trapping; 61.82; Inorganic compounds; b; 78.60.Hk A. α-Quartz; E. Luminescence; E. Self-trapped exciton; B. Laser excitation; Binary compounds; f; 71.35.Aa; 78.47. + p; 78.60; Experimental study; Quartz; Luminescence decay; Excitons; Spin-lattice relaxation; Silicon oxides; Excitation spectrum; d; 61.66; Kinetics; Two-photon processes; Photoexcitation
• ISSN: 0038-1098; 1879-2766
• DOI: 10.1016/S0038-1098(03)00526-X

The luminescence of pure crystalline α-quartz is studied under pulsed ArF laser excitation. The luminescence parameters obtained correspond well with those of self-trapped excitons (STEs) in α-quartz, indicating that the excitation process is two-photon. The efficiency of two-photon excitation is of the same order of magnitude as the one-photon excitation of sodium salicylate. The STE luminescence decay kinetics and their temperature dependence under photoexcitation were recorded with higher accuracy than previously. Changes in the decay kinetics with temperature are explained by the splitting of the STE triplet state in zero magnetic field and are analyzed with the assumption of the Orbach process of spin–lattice relaxation. No trace of other luminescence was detected in the pure sample.