Electronic structure of the self-trapped exciton in rare gas solids

The Rydberg-like series of the self-trapped exciton R₂¹ in rare gas solids (Ar, Kr and Xe) are obtained by solving the effective mass equation which incorporates different corrections, including the central cell correction. The results are in good agreement with the recent transient optical absorption data in which the electron is excited into higher excited states. The origin of the luminescence bands is interpreted by analogy with a similar structure of the self-trapped excitons in alkali halides.     

Selective non-radiative transitions at excited states of the self-trapped exciton in alkali halides

Generation of F-H pairs and σ-luminescence induced by excitation of the self-trapped excitons with polarized light causing the 1s→ 2p transitions has been measured. The results were analyzed based on the assumption that the non-radiative transitions that follow photoexcitation depend only on the state reached by the excitation, irrespective of the photon energy of the excitation. The absence of the dependence on exciting photon energy of the effective yield of removal from the triplet manifold after excitation to each substate obtained from the analysis proves that the above assumption is valid. The relative non-radiative transition probabilities between the 2p substates and from the 2p-substates to the lowest triplet state, the F-H pair, the σ-luminescent state and the ground state were obtained. It is shown that the de-excitation channels from each substate are substantially different from each other. The following transitions are found to have high probabilities: from the B_1g state to the F-H pairs in KCl and KBr, from theA_g state to the σ-luminescent state and the lowest triplet state in KBr and to the lowest triplet state in KCl and from the B_2g state to the B_1g state in KCl and KBr, where A_g, B_1g and B_2g denote the states with the electron excited to the σ_u orbital, the π_u orbital lying in the (100) plane in which the (halogen)₂^?-molecular ion is situated and the other π_u orbital, respectively. The mechanisms of these non-radiative transitions were discussed.     

The hopping motion of the self-trapped exciton in NaCl

The decay kinetics and the yield of the π luminescence from the lowest triplet state of the self-trapped exciton have been studied in NaCl containing Li⁺ ions. It is found that the π luminescence band which is observed at 6K is replaced by a luminescence band peaked at 3.34 eV above 77K. The 3.34 eV luminescence band is ascribed to the recombination of the relaxed exciton trapped by a Li⁺ ion, (V_ke)_Li. The decay of the π luminescence induced by an electron pulse and the time change of the luminescence from (V_ke)_Li are explained in terms of the characteristic equation of the diffusion-limited reaction of the lowest triplet self-trapped excitons with the Li⁺ ions. From the analysis of the dependence of the decay rate of the π luminescence on temperature and on the Li⁺ concentration, we found the diffusion constant D of the lowest triplet self-trapped exciton in NaCl to be given by with $\text{D}{}_0\text{= 2.13 × 10}{}^{\mathrm{?3}}\text{cm}{}^2\text{s}$ and E₀ = 0.13 eV. The present result can be regarded as the first clear experimental evidence for the hopping diffusion of the self-trapped exciton in alkali halides. The obtained values of E_a and D₀ are discussed using the small polaron theory. The effect of the anharmonicity on the hopping of the self-trapped excitons is suggested to be significant.     

Stimulated self-trapped exciton emission in CsI:Pb

Defects of the type of V_K and Pb⁺ centres were created in CsI:Pb under the 4.03 eV XeCl laser line irradiation at 10 K. After irradiation, the self-trapped and localized exciton emission excited by the same XeCl laser line was observed as a result of the recombination of electrons, optically released from Pb⁺, with the V_K centres. A strongly superlinear dependence of the emission intensity on the excitation intensity was found for the 3.65 eV emission of the self-trapped exciton. A much weaker superlinearity was observed for the visible localized exciton emission. Optical amplification of the exciton emission was considered as the most probable reason of the observed phenomenon. At 10 K, optical gain G=3.74 was calculated for the self-trapped exciton emission.     

Absorption spectra of self-trapped exciton in condensed rare gases

Optical absorption from the self-trapped exciton (STE) to its higher excited states has been observed in solid Ar, Kr, and Xe. A new absorption peak of Ar1₂ is found. Comparison of solid, liquid and gas phase data provides evidence of the similarity of level structures of Ar1₂ and STE. Tentative assignments of the observed transitions are also made.     

KMgF3晶体的色心和自陷态激子研究

应用从头计算方法对KMgE3离子晶体中的色心和自陷态激子(STE)进行了模拟研究.对包含F心的量子团簇进行几何结构优化,并计算了F心处于1s基态和2p激发态的Mulliken电荷分布.模拟结果表明,F心周围的晶格弛豫较小,处于基态的F心电子主要局域在阴离子空位处,而处于激发态的F心电子波函数则比较扩展.计算结果表明,Vk心移向邻近的间隙位置,但仍保持分子轴向与[110]晶向平行.自陷态激子的弛豫是分子轴向平移与转动的叠加.计算得到的F心、Vk心的光学激发能及STE的发光能与实验符合得较好.     

Recombination luminescence lifetimes and the self-trapped excition in alkali halides

The decay of recombination luminescence in undoped KI and RbI at low temperatures has been measured following pulsed excitation by two-photon absorption and other methods. Several distinct exponential components are observed whose decay times vary with temperature. The most notable case is the principal component of the intrinsic luminescence in KI, whose decay time increases exponentially from 2 μsec at 12 K to 280 μsec at 1.38 K. The data are accounted for in terms of changing populations within a zero-field-split triplet state of the self-trapped excition. Evidence concerning the origin of a second luminescent triplet state in KI, RbI, and CsI is discussed; this state is similar to those of the self-trapped excition, but may involve an extrinsic perturbation.     

Trapped exciton states in lead halides

The absorption spectra of thin films of PbCl₂ containing 4 mol.% of NaCl, and PbI₂ containing 4 mol.% of KI measured at room temperature are presented. The study indicates the presence of effective mass states associated with substitutional sodium (or potassium) impurities. The character of these states as intermediate excitons in lead halides are discussed.     

Radiative and nonradiative recombination of self-trapped exciton on silicon nanocrystal interface

The theory of the multiphonon and radiative recombination of a self-trapped exciton on the interface of a silicon nanocrystal in a SiO₂ matrix is developed. Self-trapped excitons play a key role in the hot carrier dynamics in nanocrystals under photoexcitation. The ratio of the probabilities of the multiphonon and radiative recombination of the self-trapped exciton is estimated. The probabilities of exciton tunnel transition from the self-trapped state to a nanocrystal are calculated for nanocrystals of various sizes. The infrared range spectrum of the luminescence of the self-trapped exciton is obtained.