Characterisation of hydrogen ion implantation damage in quartz, lithium niobate and tellurium dioxide by Raman spectroscopy

Abstract

We report observations of the Raman spectra of 10 keV hydrogen ion-implanted crystalline quartz, lithium niobate and tellurium dioxide over a wide range of ion fluences (– protons/cm). We observe the emergence and growth of a new fluorescence feature in the Raman spectra (peaked at 1535 cm) as a function of fluence in all three materials. When measured, the position and shape of this feature is nearly identical in each material. However, the appearance of this feature in tellurium dioxide has a slightly varied behaviour. Based on our observations, we suggest that this signal is due to the 557.7 nm photoluminescence of interstitial atomic O formed radiolytically. While interstitial molecular O2 has previously been observed in irradiated quartz, the presence of this atomic oxygen signature in proton-irradiated lithium niobate and tellurium dioxide has not been previously reported. Our results are important for the use of these materials, and other crystalline oxides, in charged particle (proton) radiation rich environments, such as those encountered by spaceborne instrumentation.