A. N. Trukhin

Photoluminescence and thermally stimulated luminescence of synthetic and natural (morion and smoky) $α$-quartz crystals doped with aluminum and alkali ions were studied. The photoluminescence spectrum is characterized with the main blue band around 400 nm (~ 3.1 eV). The corresponding luminescence center is based on a defect containing aluminum and alkali as compensators in natural and synthetic quartz crystals. Photoluminescence can be detected at high temperatures above 700 K. The thermal quenching activation energy is 0.15 eV and the frequency factor is 3 10$^7$ s$^{-1}$. In the samples with silver ions the main luminescence band is located at ~ 260 nm (~ 4.7 eV) with a time constant of ~ 37 $μ$s at 80 K, and in the samples with copper ions the PL band is at ~ 360 nm (~ 3.4 eV) with a time constant ~ 50 μs at 80 K. For luminescence associated with silver the energy of thermal quenching is 0.7 eV with a frequency coefficient of 1 10$^{14}$ s$^{-1}$, and for the luminescence related to copper, these parameters are 0.55 eV and 10$^{14}$ s$^{-1}$. The differences in intra-center luminescence properties of the same defect containing alkali ions or noble ions are based on differences in electronic transitions. In the case of alkali ions the charge transfer transitions between oxygen and alkali ions. In the case of noble ions absorption-luminescence corresponds to intra ion transitions. Radiation properties are related to trapping of an electron on one valence ion. Created atom moves out of aluminum containing defect. The hole remains on aluminum-oxygen defect. Thermally stimulated luminescence is related to release of atom, it diffusion to aluminum defect with the hole on oxygen and following radiative recombination.

The photoelectric response of pure silica glasses excited by excimer lasers has been studied. The samples were made under various conditions. Photoelectric polarization of samples due to the Dember effect has been registered. The signal was recorded under the conditions of a space charge limited current. The space charge resulting from the capture of electrons and holes creates a static electric field that prevents diffusion of released charge carriers. The current registration in the external circuit stops, despite the continuation of photoexcitation. This effect was used as a fact of measuring the photocurrent in the sample volume instead of the parasitic current that is not associated with the sample. The screen has been chosen to prevent the influence of a spurious signal. It has been found that charge carriers are released when excited in the spectral absorption range of localized states of silica. Based on the Dember effect, the sign of the photoelectric response shows the type of charge carriers - an electron or a hole is mobile. Thus, a sample containing aluminum without alkali ions gives a negative signal, which indicates the diffusion of electrons at 290 K, since aluminum is an effective hole trap. An oxygen-deficient sample at 290 K provides a positive signal indicating the diffusion of holes, because the center of oxygen deficiency is an effective electron trap. This sample at 100 K provides a negative signal due to the effective self-trapping of holes.