Anionische Silberzentren („B-Zentren“) in Alkalihalogeniden

It is proposed that negatively charged silver ions on anion sites are responsible for theB bands found in silver doped alkalihalides. Experimental investigations confirming this model of theB center are presented. Optical absorption and emission ofB centers were measured in seven alkalihalides in the temperature range from 450 to 4 °K. Configuration coordinate diagrams were obtained for KCl, KBr, and KI. A chemical method was used to determine the charge of theB center. Thermal or optical excitation causes theB centers to dissociate into neutral silver atoms andF centers. The Ag⁰ centers are bound to interstitial positions at low temperature. At high temperature they collect together forming colloidal centers. TetragonalB _A centers were formed during optical bleaching of theB band in mixed crystals of the type KCl+ΔNaCl. Their absorption and emission spectra, optical orientation, and polarized emission were investigated. These properties are shown to be similar to those ofF _A centers.B _A fluorescence polarized almost completely in the 100] direction was observed. A Jahn-Teller splitting of theB absorption band was resolved in RbCl at low temperature. The splitting confirms the configuration5s² for the Ag^? ion. The results are compared with those for the isoelectronic centers In⁺ and Sn⁺⁺. Thin films of alkalihalides containing small amounts of silver, copper, or thallium were condensed simultaneously with alkali vapor. New bands in the UV region were found, possibly due to Cu^? and Tl^? centers.