Optically stimulated phosphorescence in orthoclase feldspar over the millisecond to second time scale

In the past, time-resolved IR stimulated luminescence (TR-IRSL) curves from feldspar have mainly been measured over a few hundred μs with the purpose of estimating the lifetimes of the components. In this study, we present the decay form of time-resolved IRSL and IR stimulated phosphorescence (IRSP) from orthoclase feldspar covering over 8 orders of magnitude (50 ns to ～7 s). A detailed characterisation of the slowly decaying signals (ms to s time scales) from feldspar is undertaken to obtain further insight into the role of re-trapping in both the IR stimulated luminescence (IRSL) and the relatively more stable post-IR IRSL signals. The decay form of the different signals examined here shows a weak dependence on preheat temperature and a strong dependence on stimulation temperature. Interestingly, the IRSP curves show a conspicuous kink of which the position is linearly dependent on the on-time duration.The data on thermal dependence of these signals might suggest that the decay behaviour of the time-resolved IRSL and phosphorescence signals mainly reflect the occupancy of electrons in the band tail states with a significant contribution from the shallow traps. This interpretation is supported by thermoluminescence (TL) curves showing the photo-transfer effect during short IR and post-IR IR stimulations.     

Surface photovoltage spectroscopy of electronic surface states on cleaved germanium(111) surfaces

Surface photovoltage (SPV) measurements on UHV cleaved Ge(111) surfaces at 100 K are reported for photon energies 0.4 < ?ω < 1 eV. The SPV spectra are sensitive to surface treatment. Upon annealing to temperatures above 200°C, which is accompanied by a reconstruction change from the (2 × 1) to an (8) superstructure, the SPV spectrum shows 2 shoulders below band gap energy with threshold energies near 0.4 and 0.45 eV. These structures are interpreted in terms of electronic transitions from the valence band into empty surface state levels which are related to the (8) superstructure. Adsorbed oxygen and water vapor both cause new similar transitions from the valence band into empty surface states at 0.08 eV below the bottom of the conduction band.     

An Analysis of Infrared Stimulated Current in a-Si:H Based on a Model of Three-step Excitations

An analysia of the infrared stimulated current in a-Si:H is presented based on a model of three-step excited processes. Since the photon energy of the infrared (i.r.) stimulated beam is less than half of the band gap, generation of tho photon current under the infrared illumination is originated from the mechanism of a three-step excited process. To match with the experimental result, we find that the excitation rate b^′ from the lower localized atates to the higher localiied states In the band gap is much smaller than that from the valence band to localized states and from localixed atatee to the conduction band. The steady state value of the density of the free carriers only depends on b^′, average recombination time γ and density of localixed states g(E).     

Natural variations in the properties of TL and IRSL emissions from metamorphic and volcanic K-feldspars from East Africa: Assessing their reliability for dating

The elevated temperature infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) and post-IR IRSL signals of potassium (K)-feldspars have recently garnered attention for their minimal rates of anomalous fading. The post-IR IRSL signal has been used to obtain age estimates for geological deposits, mostly in Europe. Studies on the behaviour of the IRSL and post-IR IRSL signals of K-feldspars from a wider range of geographic regions and depositional contexts are needed, particularly for regions where the OSL signal from quartz is poorly behaved. Discrepancies in the literature regarding the behaviours of the IRSL and TL signals of K-feldspars also highlight the need to characterise the behaviours of samples from a wide variety of contexts. This paper begins to address this problem by characterising and comparing the IRSL signals of a metamorphic and a volcanic K-feldspar sample from two sites in East Africa, a region in which the OSL signal from quartz has generally proven problematic for dating. We demonstrate that the metamorphic and volcanic K-feldspars have substantially different TL glow curves that respond differently to IR stimulation. The sample of metamorphic K-feldspar from Tanzania (MR9) has a peak at 430 °C that is associated with the IRSL signal and an optically less-sensitive peak at 350 °C, while the sample of volcanic K-feldspar from Ethiopia (MB3) exhibits a single broad TL region centred at ～230 °C that responds differently to IR stimulation. Differences in the change of IRSL decay curve shape with stimulation temperature suggest that the processes of IRSL production many vary between the two samples. Using dose recovery tests, we demonstrate that the IRSL (50 °C), IRSL (225 °C) and post-IR IRSL (50 °C, 225 °C) signals of sample MR9 are suitable for dose and age estimation using the single-aliquot regenerative-dose procedure, while those of sample MB3 are less suitable. The post-IR IRSL signal of the latter sample performs poorly in tests of SAR suitability and the three signals exhibit extremely high fading rates over laboratory timescales (g_2days > 19%/decade).     

Modeling of the shape of infrared stimulated luminescence signals in feldspars

This paper presents a new empirical model describing infrared (IR) stimulation phenomena in feldspars. In the model electrons from the ground state of an electron trap are raised by infrared optical stimulation to the excited state, and subsequently recombine with a nearest-neighbor hole via a tunneling process, leading to the emission of light. The model explains the experimentally observed existence of two distinct time intervals in the luminescence intensity; a rapid initial decay of the signal followed by a much slower gradual decay of the signal with time.The initial fast decay region corresponds to a fast rate of recombination processes taking place along the infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) curves. The subsequent decay of the simulated IRSL signal is characterized by a much slower recombination rate, which can be described by a power-law type of equation.Several simulations of IRSL experiments are carried out by varying the parameters in the model. It is found that the shape of the IRSL signal is remarkably stable when the kinetic parameters are changed within the model; this is in agreement with several previous studies of these signals on feldspars, which showed that the shape of the IRSL curves does not change significantly under different experimental conditions. The relationship between the simulated IRSL signal and the well-known power-law dependence of relaxation processes in solids is also explored, by fitting the IRSL signal at long times with a power-law type of equation. The exponent in this power-law is found to depend very weakly on the various parameters in the model, in agreement with the results of experimental studies. The results from the model are compared with experimental IRSL curves obtained using different IR stimulating power, and good quantitative agreement is found between the simulation results and experimental data.     

Mechanism of infrared stimulation and quenching in ZnS: Cu,Al Phosphors

To investigate the mechanism of the stimulation and quenching of the green luminescence in ZnS: Cu, Al phosphors by infrared (IR) light of 0.7–1.5 μm, stimulation and quenching spectra, IR effects on time-resolved emission spectra, and IR-induced photoconductivity are measured at 4.2 K, 77 K, and room temperature. Both the stimulation and quenching are caused by the IR transitions ascribed to excited copper acceptors. It is concluded that the stimulation is induced by the process in which holes produced by IR light migrate among copper acceptors, so that the statistical distribution of the intrapair separations of excited copper-aluminum pairs are changed to shorter distances. It is found that at low temperatures the holes migrate from one copper acceptor to another without being thermally released to the valence band. It is confirmed that the quenching is caused by the recombination of holes released to the valence band with electrons in the conduction band via some kind of nonradiative recombination centers.     

Post-IR IRSL production in perthitic feldspar

A museum sample of perthitic feldspar was used to study the production of post-IR IRSL signals. It was found that traps responsible for low temperature (∼230 °C) TL peaks play an unexpectedly important role in post-IR IRSL production. During the production of the IRSL signal during low temperature IR stimulation (100 °C), electrons are optically transferred from IRSL traps into these TL traps which have been emptied by the preceding preheat at 320 °C. Subsequent heating to 300 °C causes thermal transfer of these electrons from these traps back into previously emptied IRSL traps which are related to the high temperature TL peaks. IR stimulation of these electrons results in post-IR IRSL. Thus the initial source of the post-IR IRSL signal is the same as the IRSL signal, with a role being played by intermediate traps that give rise to TL signals between 200 and 250 °C, and the final source is similar to that of the IRSL signal. Therefore the post-IR IRSL signal is a by-product of the production of the IRSL signal. It was also found that post-IR IRSL production with high post-IR IR stimulation temperatures (e.g. >230 °C) additionally includes a small contribution from the post-IR isothermal decay of high temperature TL peaks that are not sensitive to IR stimulation at low stimulation temperatures.     

Study of the relationship between infrared stimulated luminescence and blue light stimulated luminescence for potassium-feldspar from sediments

In luminescence measurements of potassium-feldspar (K-feldspar), both infrared (IR) and blue light (BL) can be used as stimulation sources. Component analysis suggests that the blue light stimulated luminescence (BLSL) measured at 60 °C from K-feldspar can be fitted using three components, namely fast, medium and slow. In order to explore the relationship between the origin of the infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signal and the different components of the BLSL, five sets of experiments were conducted, namely post-IR BLSL (pIR-BLSL), post-BL IRSL (pBL-IRSL), pulse annealing tests, dose response and laboratory fading rate tests. It is observed that most of the IRSL signal can be bleached by BL, while the BLSL signal can only be partially bleached by the IR. The sources for IRSL are mainly associated with the fast and medium components of the BLSL signal.     

Variable range hopping mechanism in band-tail states of feldspars: A time-resolved IRSL study

Time-resolved infra-red stimulated luminescence (TR-IRSL) technique enables an understanding of the dynamics of trapped electrons after IR excitation in the band-tail states of feldspar. This work intends to study the underlying physical mechanism of IRSL production. TR-IRSL studies were carried out on four feldspar mineral specimens of variable chemical composition and structural state. Assuming the IR excited trapped electrons make random walks in the band-tail states and recombine by tunnelling dynamically, hopping time is derived from the OFF time data of TR-IRSL. This analysis indicates that the hopping time decreases with stimulation temperature. Using Einstein diffusion equation, hopping probability is computed and is shown to obey the equation describing variable range hopping mechanism of Mott kind. Mott's parameters (hopping length and hopping energy) are then derived. Hopping length decreases with stimulation temperature whereas hopping energy increases with temperature. The average hopping length and energy are in the range of 11–18 Å and 45–55 meV respectively and the diffusion constant is estimated to be in the range of 10^?10–10^?9 cm² s^?1 for all the feldspar samples.     

Effect of electron and proton irradiation on recombination centers in GaAsN grown by chemical beam epitaxy

Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) was deployed to study the evolution, upon electron irradiation and hydrogenation of GaAsN grown by chemical beam epitaxy, of the main nitrogen-related nonradiative recombination center (E1), localized at 0.33 eV below the bottom edge of the conduction band of the alloy. On one hand, the electron irradiation was found to enhance the density of E1 depending on the fluence dose. On the other hand, the hydrogenation was found to passivate completely E1. Furthermore, two new lattice defects were only observed in hydrogenated GaAsN films and were suggested to be in relationship with the origin of E1. The first defect was an electron trap at average thermal activation energy of 0.41 eV below the CBM of GaAsN and was identified to be the EL5-type native defect in GaAs, originating from interstitial arsenic (As_i). The second energy level was a hole trap, newly observed at average thermal activation energy of 0.11 eV above the valence band maximum of the alloy and its origin was tentatively suggested to be in relationship with the monohydrogen–nitrogen (N–H) complex. As the possible origin of E1 was tentatively associated with the split interstitial formed from one N atom and one As atom in single V-site [(N–As)_As], we strongly suggested that the new hole trap took place after the dissociation of E1 and the formation of N–H complex.     

Investigating ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy of ice

Photoelectron energy distribution curves (EDCs) from ice excited by HeI (21.2 eV) and NeI (16.8 eV) radiation are presented. The strict connection between valence density of states and EDCs forces to rule out the previous suggestion by Shibaguchi et al. that conduction band density of states is of paramount importance in determining the EDCs excited by ultraviolet light. The results also allow a discussion of band calculations published till now; the need for a theoretical investigation on photoemission from ice is put forward.     

ZnS:Cu,Nd, Cl薄膜直流电致发光的激发态寿命和光谱强度

在真空中用共蒸发方法制的直流电致发光薄膜ZnS:Cu,Nd,Cl,实验中测量了它的可见和红外发射。本文研究了Nd3+离子的各个激发态的寿命各个辐射波长的发射强度与温度和外加电压的关系,发现导带中参与电致发光激发过程的热电子能量分布遵从玻尔兹曼函数,热电子平均能量是0.16eV左右,这个值和能量转换效率测量结果相一致。     

离子注入对ZnTe:O中间带光伏材料的微观结构及光学特性的影响

II-VI和III-V族高失配合金半导体是新型高效中间带太阳电池的优选材料体系,但中间带的形成及其能带调控等关键问题仍未得到有效解决.采用氧离子注入方式,在非平衡条件下对碲化锌(Zn Te)单晶材料实现了等电子掺杂,深入研究了离子注入对Zn Te:O材料的微观结构和光学特性的影响.研究表明:注入合适浓度的氧离子(2.5×1018cm-3)将会形成晶格应变,并诱导1.80 e V(导带下0.45 e V)中间带的产生;而较高浓度(2.5×1020cm-3)的氧离子会导致Zn Te注入层表面非晶化,并增强与锌空位相关的深能级(～1.6 e V)发光.时间分辨光致发光结果显示,离子注入诱导形成的中间带主要是和氧等电子陷阱束缚的局域激子发光有关,载流子衰减寿命较长(129 ps).因此,需要降低晶格紊乱度和合金无序,实现电子局域态向扩展态的转变,从而有效调控中间带能带结构.     

Optical properties of thallium indium disulfide (TlInS2) single crystals

Transmission, photoluminescence, and reflectance spectra of TlInS2 single crystals grown by the Bridgman–Stockbarger method were measured at 4.2 K near the fundamental absorption edge. Narrow lines at ~2.5535 and ~2.5694 eV were observed in the transmission spectrum and assigned to ground and excited free-exciton states, respectively. The free-exciton binding energy and band-gap energy Eg were found to be ~21.2 meV and ~2.5747 eV, respectively. A recombination mechanism was proposed for the TlInS2 near-band-edge and deep luminescence.     

Photoluminescence characterization of polycrystalline n-type Cu2O films

Electrodeposition was used to deposit Cu₂O thin films on ITO substrates. Photoresponse of the film clearly indicated n-type behavior of Cu₂O in photoelectrochemical cells. The temperature dependence of photoluminescence (PL) revealed that the spectra consist of donor-acceptor pair emissions and the recombination between electrons bound to donors and free holes. We observed that the dominant intrinsic defect, oxygen vacancies, creates a donor energy level at 0.38 eV below the bottom of the conduction band. As a result, this donor level acts as a center for both PL emissions and to produce n-type conductivity in the electrodeposited Cu₂O films. In addition, an acceptor energy level at 0.16 eV from the top of the valence band was observed.     

The correlation energy of the dangling silicon bond in a  Si:H

Photothermal deflection spectroscopy measurements of the optical absorption for undoped and phosphorus doped a  Si:H films are presented. Comparision of the energy shift of the dangling bond absorption shoulder shows that the correlation energy is between 0.25 and 0.45 eV. The singly and doubly occupied dangling silicon bonds are approximately ～1.25 eV and ～0.9 eV from the conduction band, respectively.     

New high-energy luminescence bands from Co2+ in ZnSe

Three sharp absorption features in the energy range 2.36–2.55 eV have been detected in the transmission spectrum of Co-diffused ZnSe, and a number of luminescence transitions originating from the lowest of these states at 2.361 eV have been observed. Photoluminescence excitation spectra prove that these are high energy excited states of the Co²⁺_Zn impurity, a conclusion confirmed by comparison of measured and predicted luminescence energies. This represents the first identification of luminescence branching from a higher excited state of a transition metal ion in any semiconductor. The sharp, weakly phonon-coupled transitions involve either intra-impurity excitation or transitions from the impurity to localised states split off from a minimum in the conduction band. The implications of these observations for the mechanism of host-impurity energy transfer and for the nature of the excited state wavefunctions are discussed.     

Two-carrier transition in radiative recombination of two-dimensional electrons in GaAs/AlGaAs

We observed photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra due to shake-up processes of recombination of two-dimensional electrons and free excitons in a modulation-doped GaAs quantum well at He temperatures. One of the processes is that when an electron recombines with a hole, another electron is excited from the conduction band in GaAs to that in AlGaAs. The other process is that a hole is excited from an acceptor level or the valence band in GaAs to the valence band in AlGaAs during recombination. The electron process is observed in both PL and PLE spectra while the hole process only in the PL spectra. The excitation-intensity dependence of the peak intensity of hole-excited PL is almost quadratic, indicating three-carrier process in the shake-up process. The band offsets of the conduction and valence bands are estimated to be 220 and 146 meV, respectively.     

纳米TiO2的表面能态及光生电子-空穴对复合过程的研究

以液相法制备了水溶态纳米TiO2,并通过X射线衍射(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和傅里叶红外光谱仪(FTIR)对纳米TiO2的结构和组成作了细致分析.并对其紫外-可见光谱(UY-Vis spectrum)和荧光发光光谱(PL spectrum)进行了分析.结果发现纳米TiO2呈现较好的锐钛矿型,平均粒径为5 nm.水溶态纳米TiO2由于吸附而在表面形成了Ti-OH和Ti-H2O的表面态,其能级位于其价带以上约0.6和0.54eV;500℃热处理后样品的表面吸附水基本消失,但OH-仍然存在,同时在纳米TiO2晶格中出现了氧空位,其能级位于价带以上3.13 eV.对于水溶态纳米TiO2,表面复合是电子-空穴对的主要复合过程;热处理后的样品,由于表面态遭到破坏,粒子半径变大,直接复合成为电子-空穴对的主要复合过程,同时还伴随有通过氧空位的间接复合和通过Ti-OH的表面复合.     

Optical properties of InN—the bandgap question

The recent controversy on the bandgap of InN is addressed, with reference to optical data on single crystalline thin film samples grown on sapphire. The optical absorption spectra deduced from transmission data or spectroscopic ellipsometry are consistent with a lowest bandgap around 0.7 eV in the low doping limit. Further, these data from a number of different independent authors and samples give values for the absorption coefficient within a factor 2 well above the absorption edge, supporting an intrinsic direct bandgap process. The presence of Mie resonances due to In inclusions in the InN matrix affects the shape of the absorption above the edge, but is less relevant for the discussion of the bandgap for pure InN. The alternative model of a deep level to conduction band transition requires the presence of a deep donor at a concentration close to 10²⁰ cm⁻³; in addition this concentration has to be the same within a factor 2 in all samples studied so far. This appears implausible, and no such deep donor could so far be identified from SIMS data in the highest quality samples studied. The line shape of the photoluminescence spectra can be quite well reproduced in a model for the optical transitions from the conduction band states to localized states above the valence band, including the Coulomb effects of the impurity potentials. A value of 0.69 eV for the bandgap of pure InN is deduced at 2 K. For samples that appear to be only weakly degenerate n-type two narrow peaks are observed in the photoluminescence at low temperature, assigned to conduction band—acceptor transitions. These peaks can hardly be explained in the deep level model. Recent cathodoluminescence data on highly n-doped InN films showing that the emission appears to be concentrated around In inclusions can also be explained as near bandgap recombination, considering the plausible enhancement due to interface plasmons. Finally, recent photoluminescence data on quantum structures based on InN and InGaN with a high In content appear to be consistent with moderate upshifts of the emission from a 0.7 eV value due to electron confinement.