Decay Time of 2.09 eV Luminescence of S2--Vacancy Centers and Their Optical and Thermal Stability in NaCl:S2 Crystals

An investigation was carried out on decay time of the 2.09 eV emission of S²–vacancy pair centers in NaCl crystals. When the crystal was excited by a pulsed 337 nm light from an N₂ laser, the 2.09 eV yellow luminescence principally decayed with the lifetime of 14.2 μs at low temperatures, and exhibited a weak thermal quenching with an activation energy of 51.3 meV above about 150 K. Such S^2--vacancy pair centers responsible for the 2.09 eV luminescence were thermally stable at room temperature, and not bleached even when exposed to ultraviolet lights below about 5 eV. Thus, the 2.09 eV emission center possibly can be used as a solid-state laser active center working at room temperature.