Nonradiative relaxation of photoexcited O<Stack><Subscript>1</Subscript><Superscript>0</Superscript></Stack> centers in glassy SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The processes involved in the excited-state relaxation of hole O ₁ ⁰ centers at nonbridging oxygen atoms in glassy SiO₂ were studied using luminescence, optical absorption, and photoelectron emission spectroscopy. An additional nonradiative relaxation channel, in addition to the intracenter quenching of the 1.9-eV luminescence band, was established to become operative at temperatures above 370 K. This effect manifests itself in experiments as a negative deviation of the temperature-dependent luminescence intensity from the well-known Mott law and is identified as thermally activated external quenching with an energy barrier of 0.46 eV. Nonradiative transitions initiate, within the external quenching temperature interval, the migration of excitation energy, followed by the creation of free electrons. In the final stages, this relaxation process becomes manifest in the form of spectral sensitization of electron photoemission, which is excited in the hole O ₁ ⁰ -center absorption band.     

Analysis of the Nonselective Spectra of Photostimulated Electron Emission from the Surface of Irradiated Dielectrics

The methodological aspects of PSEE spectroscopy of the surface of irradiated dielectrics have been considered. A generalized method for processing the nonselective photostimulated electron emission (PSEE) spectra taking into account the effects of radiation electrification and structural disordering is proposed and has been substantiated. The procedure of separation of the emission contribution of discrete radiation centers providing, in the stationary approach, estimation of a number of parameters and the concentration of emission-active defects of the surface layer of the material has been described. The potentialities of the method have been demonstrated with the example of Be₂SiO₄ phenacite crystals and crystalline and glassy SiO₂. Diamagnetic oxygen-deficient centers, body and surface E'-centers, as well as hole O ₁ ⁰ -centers on nonbridging oxygen atoms have been registered. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 72, No. 3, pp. 381–385, May–June, 2005.     

Simulation of transport and relaxation of hot electrons in the near-surface layers of nanostructured and crystalline silicon dioxides

Computer simulation has been performed to investigate the transport and energy relaxation of photoelectrons in the near-surface layers of nanostructured and crystalline silicon dioxides in the presence and absence of an electric field. Calculations have shown that nanostructured samples have a shorter hot-electron thermalization time and exhibit weaker influence of an electric field on the electron energy relaxation process than the bulk crystal. The size effect calculated in terms of electron thermalization time is most pronounced at particle sizes less than 5 nm.     

Specific features in the kinetics of thermally stimulated luminescence of α-Al2O3 crystals containing defects

A study of specific features in the kinetics of thermoluminescence (TL) of defective α-Al₂O₃ crystals is reported. The TL properties are experimentally shown to be related to the presence of oxygen vacancies of thermochemical or radiation origin. It is established that the differences in the TL kinetics in α-Al₂O₃ samples grown under different conditions can be accounted for by the hypothesis that the energy spectra of the trapping levels have different widths. As is demonstrated with a titanium impurity, this broadening of the energy spectrum can originate from the presence of traces of native impurities in the α-Al₂O₃ lattice. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1538–1543 (September 1997)     

Electron structure of “oxygen vacancy” defect in SiO2

Electron structure calculations of the bulk defects, connected with oxygen vacancies in SiO₂ have been performed by the non-empirical discrete variational method. Two models of E′₁-center are analyzed, the first considering the unpaired electron in the planar SiO₃ fragment and the second in the pyramidal one (“asymmetrically relaxed vacancy”). The comparison of calculation results with ESR and optical data gives evidence in favour of the asymmetrical relaxation model.     

Temperature behavior of the 6.05-eV band in optical absorption spectra of oxygen-deficient corundum

The effect of temperature on the 6.05-eV absorption band in α-Al₂O₃ has been studied in the 80–515 K region. The data obtained are analyzed in terms of a one-coordinate model with strong electron-phonon coupling. This band is shown to be formed by two peaks at 5.91 and 6.22 eV (T=293 K) originating from absorption at the F ⁺ and F centers, respectively. An analysis of the experimental temperature dependences has allowed us to calculate the energies of effective phonons responsible for the broadening and shift of the peaks. The energies calculated agree with the data obtained in other studies and lie in the region of corundum acoustic-vibration frequencies. The Huang-Rhys factors have been evaluated for both centers and found to be close to the estimates made by other authors. The results are discussed in detail and compared with independent data on optical absorption and luminescence of anion centers in colored and irradiated α-Al₂O₃ single crystals.     

A monopole mass filter with a hyperbolic V-shaped electrode

In this article we compare the classical monopole mass filter of von Zahn and the monopole mass filter with a hyperbolic V-shaped electrode. The experimental results and those of computer simulation for both mass spectrometers are presented. We show that the replacement of a conventional 90 degrees V-shaped electrode by an electrode with a hyperbolic profile substantially improves the peak shape of any given mass, and increases the mass resolution by a factor of 3-4 and the abundance sensitivity by a factor of 100. The potential of high analytical performance combined with electroforming techniques for electrode manufacture indicate future practical uses of such instruments. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.