A Study of the Effect of Deformation on the ESR, Luminescence, and Absorption of MgO Single Crystals

Abstract

Abstract The effect of plastic deformation on the optical absorption, ESR, and thermoluminescent properties of MgO has been investigated. Plastic deformation produces an optical absorption band at about 217 nm whose intensity is proportional to the percent of deformation. No new ESR signals were detected in the deformed crystals. When deformed crystals are irradiated with 60 CO γ‐rays, however, the ESR signal from the F‐center is observed and several new optical absorption bands also appear. Impurity ion ESR signals in γ‐irradiated samples have been compared with thermoluminescence spectra. The results indicate that the blue thermoluminescence at 3.3 eV and 85°C is due to Fe 2+ converting to Fe 3+ and the red thermoluminescence at 1.7 eV and 85°C is due to the formation of Cr 3+ .