The colour centre absorption of X‐Ray coloured alkaline earth fluoride crystals

Abstract

AbstractAbsorption by colour centres (i. e. the Ψ‐centre comprising an anion vacancy with a trapped electron) is observed in pure alkaline earth fluoride crystals after subtractive coloration at temperatures of 300, 84, and 37 °K. Colorability increases with decreasing temperature and increasing cation radius of the crystal hosts. The coloration spectra of the CaF2 and SrF2 crystals are similar; they consist of a strong double band, called the Ψ‐band, a weak ultraviolet band, probably caused by hole imperfections, called Ω‐centres, and an increase in absorption at 200 nm (Ω‐centre: collective term for all hole imperfections occuring in alkine earth fluoride crystals [8]). The peak of the Ψ‐band occurs at 375 nm for CaF2 and at 434nm for SrF2. BaF2 crystals exhibit two different coloration spectra depending on whether they are coloured at room temperature or at lower temperatures. Both the coloration spectra of BaF2 are dissimilar to the type of spectrum observed for CaF2 and SrF2. On heating the CaF2 and SrF2 crystals, strong discoloration is only observed at relatively high temperatures (between 125 and 150 °K); on the other hand, coloration increased when it is performed at 37 instead of 84 °K. Saturation of the coloration of the BaF2 crystals takes place at 84 °K whereas their discoloration commences already between 85 and 100 °K. The discussion of the results considers special models and uses published results for additive coloration spectra, electron spin resonance and theoretical calculations.