Luminescence spectra of lead tungstate, spodumene and topaz crystals

A detailed set of thermoluminescence, cathodoluminescence and radioluminescence (TL, CLTL and RLTL) data of lead tungstate, Spodumene and Topaz have been reported for the first time over a wide temperature range from 25 to 500K. Lead tungstate (PbWO_4), a widely known scintillating material, gives TL glow peaks which are related to complex defect centres. Doping of this crystal with trivalent rare earth ions (La"3"+, Y"3"+) reduces the slow component of the emission thereby making it more suitable for its applications. The pentavalent dopants on the other hand, enhance the green emission and quench the blue emission at temperatures 100K. The origin and the irradiation temperature definitely have an effect on the spectrum. No strong relationship could be derived from the dose dependence data. Two less studied minerals, Spodumene and Topaz have also been investigated with the luminescence techniques. The glow peak near 250degC is thought to have originated from Mn"2"+ centres. As there are no ESR data available, the assignment of defect centres is rather difficult. Cr"+ acts as the quencher in green spodumene. Topaz had the same treatment as the other two sets of samples and the defect centre characterisation looks complex as each coloured sample gave different patterns of glow peaks. Cathodoluminescence whilst heating (CLTL) of all these samples showed some unusual features in the form of a luminescence intensity step which is believed to have originated from the presence of ice. Water, in nanoparticle size quantities, is present as a contaminant in the lattice and undergoes a phase transition at 170K from hexagonal to cubic structures. This phase change influences the luminescence efficiency of the host material and is reflected in the spectrum as a discontinuity in intensity. (author)SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:DXN056804 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo