Charge-Transfer Processes in Doped Alkali Halides

Defects formation under UV-irradiation in the impurity-induced absorption bands at 4.2 K has been studied for crystals with and without traps for electrons (CsI:Pb and Eu^2?-doped alkali halides, respectively). In both cases the results have been explained by an electron transfer from the impurity-perturbed halogen ion states, resulting in the appearance of electrons and holes in the crystal. In CsI:Pb, the electrons are trapped by lead ions and the holes are self-trapped. In Eu^2?-doped crystals, the electrons and the holes recombine with the formation of excitons, whose decay results in the creation of Frenkel defects.