Luminescence processes in CsI doped with Na+ and K+ ions

The luminescence bands around 420 nm and 370 nm in CsI:Na and CsI:K have been studied by measuring the temperature dependence of decay times and luminescence and its excitation spectra. The bands are due to singlet+triplet localized excitons and to triplet localized excitons, respectively, at low temperature. Zero field splitting and life time amount to 0.2 meV and 3.3 μs for the 420 nm band, and to 2.1 meV and 1.7 μs for the 370 nm band. Creation processes of 420 nm excitons may not be the same below 40 K and near room temperature.