Lattice energy of alkali halide crystals

A new repulsive term in the ionic interaction potential ψ(r) = Ar^?ne^?r/gl, is suggested and the three unknown parameters A, λ and n are evaluated. Lattice energies of alkali halide crystals are calculated using this form. The results agree fairly well with the experimental values.     

Detection of defects binding free polarons in colored alkali halide crystals

The assumption has been made that defects binding free polarons in colored alkali halide crystals are F'-center, i.e., defects that slow down the motion of dislocations (photoplastic effect). This assumption has been confirmed by the experiments performed in this study. Thus, the anion vacancy in alkali halide crystals at a low temperature can capture three electrons: two electrons at a deep level (F'-center) and one electron in a bound polaron state. This electron is retained due to the energy gain in the interaction of a local deformation of the polaron and a local deformation surrounding the F'-center, despite the presence of the Coulomb repulsion.     

Optical breakdown of alkali halide crystals

It is shown that the metallization of a dielectric in the region of its interaction with laser radiation is a substantiated mechanism of laser damage of wide-gap dielectrics. Calculations of the radiation pressure produced by high-power laser radiation and the pressure of external bulk compression at which the dielectric energy-gap width becomes zero and which is calculated on the basis of the self-consistent statistical electron theory of ionic crystals have shown that these pressures are of the same order of magnitude.     

Debye temperature of alkali halide crystals

The Debye temperature _D is calculated from the elastic constants for 18 alkali halide crystals. Comparison of the results with calorimetric data _D reveals an agreement within the experimental error. The temperature dependence of _D is determined for NaCl, NaBr, KCl, and KBr crystals from the elastic constants, and this dependence is compared with the calorimetric data.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii Fizika, No. 3, pp. 89–94, March, 1971.     

Correlation between deformation bleaching and mechanoluminescence in coloured alkali halide crystals

The present paper reports the correlation between deformation bleaching of coloration and mechanoluminescence (ML) in coloured alkali halide crystals. When the F-centre electrons captured by moving dislocations are picked up by holes, deep traps and other compatible traps, then deformation bleaching occurs. At the same time, radiative recombination of dislocation captured electrons with the holes gives rise to the mechanoluminescence. Expressions are derived for the strain dependence of the density of colour centres in deformed crystals and also for the number of colour centres bleached. So far as strain, temperature, density of colour centres, E _a and volume dependence are concerned, there exists a correlation between the deformation bleaching and ML in coloured alkali halide crystals. From the strain dependence of the density of colour centres in deformed crystals, the value of coefficient of deformation bleaching D is determined and it is found to be 1.93 and 2.00 for KCl and KBr crystals, respectively. The value of (D+χ) is determined from the strain dependence of the ML intensity and it is found to be 2.6 and 3.7 for KCl and KBr crystals, respectively. This gives the value of coefficient of deformation generated compatible traps χ to be 0.67 and 1.7 for KCl and KBr crystals, respectively.     

Healing of cracks in alkali halide crystals

The healing of micro-and macrocracks under local heating and x-ray irradiation of LiF single crystals is studied. The main features revealed in crack healing due to local actions are described. The contribution of the plastic zone formed upon the arrest and healing of a crack to the strength of the crystal is estimated.     

Proton dechanneling in alkali halide mixed crystals

The effects of the lattice distortion in KCI-KBr mixed crystals on the dechanneling of 1.5 MeV protons are studied by means of backscattering. The dechanneling rate vs. the composition curve has a maximum at about 1:1 mixture of KCI and KBr. The lattice distortion in the mixed crystals is estimated from the dechanneling rate, and the result agrees well with that obtained by an X-ray measurement. The effective cross-section for the dechanneling caused by the lattice distortion is obtained, and compared with the results of a calculation based on a simple model.     

Microhardness studies in alkali halide mixed crystals

Microhardness measurements done in KCl, KBr and in different compositions of KCl-KBr mixed crystals show that it varies nonlinearly with composition. In order to investigate the nature of defects, several techniques such as etching, ionic conductivity and dielectric loss have been employed which showed that the mixed cristals of KCl-KBr are more defective, containing a high concentration of dislocations, low-angle grain boundaries and vacancies as compared to the end products KCl and KBr. These imperfections appear to be responsible for the nonlinear variation of microhardness in mixed crystals. The microhardness studies also revealed that the difference in size of the ions constituting the mixed system are responsible for the internal strains which in turn give rise to imperfections affecting the microhardness of mixed crystals.     

Point defect interaction in alkali halide crystals

Abstract

Molecular statics method is used to determine the energy and configuration peculiarities of vacancy-bivacancy interaction in alkali halide crystals. It is shown that high level of local vacancy supersaturation defines the possibility of cluster formation. The study of carrier traps by luminescence methods is used to reveal vacancy clusters.     

Point defects in alkali halide mixed crystals

Measurements of self diffusion coefficients of ⁴²K, ⁸⁵Rb and ¹²⁵I and measurements of ionic conductivity were carried out on single crystals of the (Rb₂K_1-Z)I solid solutions (z varying from 0 to 1). The self-diffusion coefficient measurements (T=875 K) indicate that two types of cation have the same mobility and that this mobility is about twice that of the anion. All these mobilities are higher for the solid solutions than for the pure components, KI and RbI. The ionic conductivity was analysed using the Schottky defect model. Interactions between defects were taken into account in this analysis. Thus, enthalpies and entropies of formation and migration of vacancies were determined. Examining the variations of these parameters as functions of composition z at a given temperature shows that the density of vacant sites is significantly higher in the case of solid solutions than in the case of pure components (for example, this density is about twice as large for (Rbo.sK_0.5)I as for KI or RbI).     

Anion polarizability functions in alkali halide crystals

Anion polarizabilities in alkali halide crystals are analysed as a function of interionic separation R. The anion polarizability is treated as a function of the anion and cation radii, with its partial derivatives approximated by those with respect to R for fixed cation and anion, respectively. With pressure derivatives of the ionic radii deduced from the crystal compressibility, assuming transferability among crystals, the polarizability derivatives with respect to ionic radius yield pressure derivatives of the polarizability that agree with experiment to within a factor of two. These results offer a useful means of predicting the pressure dependence of dielectric data.     

The influence of heating on the spectral characteristics of pure alkali halide NaCl crystals

The influence of high-temperature heating on the spectral characteristics of pure natural NaCl crystals is studied. It is shown that defects changing spectral characteristics of crystals are formed in them when heated. Temperature dependences of the luminescence intensity growth for these defects are described by the hyperbolic function. The action of X-rays on heated crystals results in the formation of new defects luminescent in regions of 435 and 570–585 nm. The efficiency of formation of these defects is obtained as a function of the temperature of heat pretreatment. Regularities in variations of the location and the intensity of luminescence of the defects obtained under the action of ultraviolet radiation and on long storage are determined.     

Photoelectric work function changes during heterogeneous adsorption of alkali halide molecules on alkali halide crystals

The changes of photoelectric work function during heterogeneous adsorption of alkali halide crystals had been observed. They were attributed to the non-zero effective dipole moment of the adsorbed layer, and were estimated using the Helmholtz formula. Measurements of this effect showed semi-quantitative agreement with the theoretical model. The divergences between experimental data and theoretical calculations were briefly discussed.     

Bombardment of alkali halide crystals with medium-energy atoms

The sputtering characteristics of KCl and NaCl alkali halide single crystals by bombardment with argon and mercury atoms are investigated. The sputtering coefficients are measured in the energy range 0.5–3 keV. Anisotropy is found in sputtering at various incident angles of the beam. The yield of charged particles during bombardment of thin specimens (of the order of 8–20 m) of KCl single crystals is investigated.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 7, pp. 55–59, July, 1984.