Electron transfer from excited F centres to F+, F+A and F+AA centres in CaO studied by optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR)

ODMR measurements via the magnetic circular polarization of the emission (MCPE) of F_A(Mg) centres in CaO at 1.6 K showed besides the known F_A-ODMR lines a non zero MCPE, which vanishes at g ? 2. From the dynamical behaviour of this MCPE and the F_A luminescence is shown that an electron tunneling takes place from the excited T_1u F centre state to F⁺_A centres forming excited F_A centres. The ground state back tunneling rate is 10⁷ times smaller and cannot explain the observed electron transfer cycle. The back tunneling is also going via excited states. The results can be understood assuming a random centre distribution. A new luminescence band at 785 nm could be identified by ODMR as being due to tetragonal F_AA centres. The electron transfer is also observed between F and F⁺ and F⁺_AA centres.