ION beam induced luminescence in fused silica

Abstract

Abstract A luminescence band at 450 nm (2.7 eV) is observed during ion irradiation of fused silica at energies between 0.7 and 2.0 MeV. The intensity is a function of dose and ion species. In general, the intensity increases to a maximum at which it appears to remain for light ion excitation (H+, He+), but from which it subsequently decays for heavy ions (N+, O+). The energy deposition required to produce this maximum signal is of the same order as that reported for other saturable damage parameters in silica (such as the compaction associated with bond reorientation, and changes in the refractive index).