Broadband laser emission from color centers inside MgO microcrystals

We report room-temperature broadband laser emission in the near-ultraviolet to the blue-green spectral range using color centers in MgO microcrystals. The lasing MgO microcrystals are obtained through a solid phase reaction between SiO and Mg at 450 degrees C in an argon atmosphere and are mostly composed of an accumulation of microcubes enclosed by [100] facets. The laser action was observed in the wavelength region from 350 to 600 nm without using cavity mirrors. In the present MgO microcrystals, some of the color centers will be stabilized at the interfaces and/or boundaries of the microcrystalline domains, probably explaining the stable laser action even at room temperature.     

Elementary-oscillator model for color centers with degenerate levels

Quantum transitions between nondegenerate and degenerate (with respect to angular momentum projection) levels of color centers in crystals are described in terms of classical electric-dipole oscillators. It is shown that, upon absorption of elliptically polarized exciting radiation, the system under study transfers to a definite state and the transition is described in general by an elliptical oscillator. An electric-dipole transition accompanied by the creation of a photon is described by a random vector, i.e., by an arbitrary elliptical oscillator lying in the corresponding plane. For an ensemble of n identically oriented centers undergoing a given transition, the luminescence intensity is described by a set of n/2 right-handed rotators and n/2 left-handed rotators. The results obtained are important for solving problems related to quantum information.     

ESR study of color centers in yttria stabilized zirconia

The ESR of single crystals of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ), containing color centers due to reduction in a flowing H₂ atmosphere, has been measured at room temperature. The spin density is about 3 × 10¹⁷ cm^?3 and the strong ESR line displays axial symmetry with principal values g₆ = 1.989, g_⊥ = 1.860.The behaviour of the ESR spectra when the magnetic field is rotated about the 〈1 0 0〉 and 〈1 1 0〉 directions shows that the centers have axial symmetry, the symmetry axis being along the 〈111〉 and equivalent directions. The derivative peak to peak envelope width is g-dependent and varies from 18 Gauss at g = 1.989 to 65 Gauss at g = 1.860. The results are interpretable in terms of an electron trapped at an oxygen vacancy adjacent to an yttrium ion.     

Trapped-hole centers in MgO single crystals

The properties of the majority trapped-hole centers in MgO, such as g-factors, positions of absorption and luminescence bands, and temperatures of thermal destruction, have been analyzed with the emphasis on the observed regular trends and interrelations between the properties of these centers. Particular emphasis has been placed on the positively charged [Be]⁺ and [Ca]⁺ trapped-hole centers, which have a large cross section for recombination with conduction electrons. In these centers, a hole is localized at an oxygen ion near the impurity Be²⁺ or Ca²⁺ ion located at a regular cation site. The generation and transformation of defects due to the recombination of either relaxed conduction electrons with OH⁻-containing hole centers or cold and hot electrons with [Be]⁺ and [Ca]⁺ centers have been considered. Using the interrelation of the characteristics of hole centers and taking into account that the recombination emission band revealed at ∼6.8 eV is due to the Ca²⁺-containing centers that are stable below 50 K, the prospects for the EPR detection of the [Ca]⁺ center at T < 4.2 K have been discussed.     

Broadly tunable pulsed laser for the infrared using color centers

We report design criteria and performance characteristics of a pulsed color center laser, excited by a nitrogen-pumped dye laser. One hundred watts peak power with 2% energy conversion efficiency and a 0.03 cm^-1 bandwidth are obtained near 2.7 μm.     

First-principles optical spectra for F centers in MgO

The study of the oxygen vacancy (F center) in MgO has been aggravated by the fact that the positively charged and the neutral vacancy (F+ and F0, respectively) absorb at practically identical energies. Here we apply many-body perturbation theory in the G0W0 approximation and the Bethe-Salpeter approach to calculate the optical absorption and emission spectrum of the oxygen vacancy in all three charge states. We observe unprecedented agreement between the calculated and the experimental optical absorption spectra for the F0 and F+ center. Our calculations reveal that not only the absorption but also the emission spectra of different charge states peak at nearly the same energy, which leads to a reinterpretation of the F center's optical properties.     

First-principles study of color centers in PbMoO4 crystals

Electronic structures of PbMoO₄ crystals containing Mn ion impurities located at Pb²⁺ sites are studied within the framework of the fully relativistic self-consistent Direc-Slater theory, using a numerically discrete variational (DV-Xα) method. The calculated results show that Mn²⁺ ions have donor energy levers in the forbidden band, which may correspond to the yellowish color absorption band of PbMoO₄ as-grown in air. The new-formed Mn³⁺ ions have acceptor energy levers in the forbidden band, which may relate to the photochromic effect in PbMoO₄ crystal.     

Transient color centers in GGG crystals

Electron pulse induced absorption and their decay kinetics have been investigated in samples of GGG crystals with different starting absorption spectra. It is shown that for all samples there appears a wide transient absorption (TA) band with two maxima in the region 14,000-17,000 v cm m 1 and 22,000-26,000 v cm m 1 . TA decay kinetics measurements in 14,000 v cm m 1 and 22,000 v cm m 1 are two-exponential (with half-time order several tens and several hundreds ns). Analyzing the obtained results, we can suppose that low and high energy TA bands are connected with the F + (or O m ) and F transient color centers (TCC) respectively.     

氧化镁纳米分级结构的合成及生长机理分析

采用气相合成技术合成了MgO三维纳米分级结构.该结构由纳米线、纳米棒、纳米丝3部分组成.高分辨电镜照片显示第一级纳米线的生长方向为[100],纳米棒与纳米丝呈四次对称分布在纳米线的侧面,其生长方向为[110].沉积区的高温和适当的反应物对三维分级纳米结构的形成起了决定性作用,气固生长模式和气液固生长模式共同主导了三维分级纳米结构形成.     

Annealing of color centers in LiBaF 3

Results of the glow rate technique to analyze the activation energy of thermostimulated annealing of X-ray created F -type color centers in LiBaF 3 crystals are presented, showing pure and containing oxygen centers. It is shown that depending on the impurity composition two alternative mechanisms are involved in the annealing of color centers. It is proposed that either the anion vacancy governed migration of F -centers resulting in recombination with complementary defects, or the thermal delocalization of radiation created fluorine ( F i ) interstitials captured by anti-structure defects followed by recombination with all kinds of complementary F -type centers are responsible for the recombination of radiation defects above RT.     

Systematic study of Au6 to Au12 gold clusters on MgO(100) F centers using density-functional theory

We present an optimized genetic algorithm used in conjunction with density-functional theory in the search for stable gold clusters and O2 adsorption ensembles in F centers at MgO(100). For Au8 the method recovers known structures and identifies several more stable ones. When O2 adsorption is investigated, the genetic algorithm is used to imitate structural fluxionality, increasing the O2 bond strength by up to 1 eV. Extending the method to Au(6,10,12), strong O2 adsorption configurations are found for all sizes. However, the effect of fluxionality appears to wear off with increasing cluster size.     

Radiative color centers in doped sapphire crystals

Experimental and theoretical results of investigation of the spectral properties of sapphire (α-Al₂O₃) single crystals are analyzed. Crystals grown under different conditions, both nonactivated and activated with impurity ions of the iron group (Cr, V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni), primarily with chromium ions, were investigated before and after irradiation with photons and high-energy electrons. It is shown that the impurity composition of crystals significantly affects the radiative and optical properties and the character of changes in the electronic state of impurities.     

Recording volume holograms on color centers in a CaF2 crystal

The conditions for preparing photochromic CaF₂ crystals, recording holograms with 532-nm radiation in them, and postexposure photothermal treatment of samples with holograms that provide the formation of holographic elements of significant thickness (about 1 cm) are considered. It is shown that the diffraction efficiency of volume holograms in such crystals in the case of reading out by radiation with wave-lengths of 532 and 632.8 nm can be as high as 10–15%. The role of the recording mechanism and the Borrmann effect in the fabrication of these holograms is demonstrated.     

Thermal transformation of color centers in neutron-irradiated sapphire

Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 56, No. 2, pp. 268–273, February, 1992.     

Far-infrared spectra of color centers in alkali halides

Abstract

In this paper we wish to review some recent results on the effects of color centers on the vibrational properties of alkali halide crystals.     

Buildup of color centers in electron-irradiated phosphate glass

Individual Gaussian-shaped bands are isolated in optical absorption spectra using a computer and their parameters are determined. An increase in the concentration of both types of color centers with increasing integral electron flux is calculated using the Smekal formula. Two sections are isolated in the build-up kinetics for the centers. The concentration of color centers at 3.0 eV and 2.4 eV are related to each other.     

A thermoluminescence study of defect centres in MgO

Thermoluminescence glow curves are a fairly good representation of the different defect centres in MgO produced by γ or reactor irradiation. The glow peaks at 370, 440, 485 and 545 K have been found to be due to hole trapped centres. The 370 K peak has been found to be due to holes released from V_M centres (hole trapped at action vacancy associated with a neighbouring impurity ion). The 665 K peak in γ-irradiated MgO is due to charge transfer between the adsobred oxygen ions and surface defect centres. The F-type centres produced on reactor irradiation (neutron and γ) and on quenching from high temperatures before γ-irradiation are also found to give thermoluminescence peaks at temperatures higher than 560 K. It has also been found that reactor irradiation partially annihilates the trapping centres which are responsible for lower temperature glow peaks.