Deexcitation time shortening for the electronic states of trapped oxygen by matrix doping. I. Theoretical aspects

Abstract

The shortening of the 1S level lifetime of a rare gas trapped oxygen atom is interpreted according to the following scheme: a perturber disturbs the Oh ideal environment around the oxygen atom and induces a transition dipole moment for the 1S → 1D normally quadrupolar transition. We choose to represent the perturber by a foreign rare gas atom also trapped in the matrix since (i) the rare gas–rare gas interaction potential is generally of good quality and (ii) double doping experiments are easily performed. The distortion induced by the perturber is calculated at any lattice point of the crystal in the framework of the Green static functions. The energies of the level correlating with 1S and of the five levels correlating with 1D are determined together with the transition dipole elements. The bar spectrum is then reconstructed and the lifetime of the 1S level calculated, as a function of the oxygen-perturber distance.