Publication
Title
Electronic, vibrational and configurational relaxation of the center in KBr
Author
Abstract
The relaxation after optical excitation of the F-H(OH-) center in KBr is studied with a picosecond pump-probe technique for induced transparency. Three different relaxation components can be distinguished: (i) a nearly temperature-independent component decaying in a few ps; (ii) a component which decays slower than 10 ns at all temperatures; and (iii) a strongly temperature-dependent component with a time constant of the order of 100 ps at 50 K and at least 10 ns below 20 K. We observe essentially no effect on the relaxation time of the components under OH--->OD- substitution. Because of its picosecond time scale, its temperature independence, and the Raman measurements presented in an earlier paper, we identify the first component as a radiationless electronic transition during lattice relaxation, which occurs mainly near the first crossing point reached. This corresponds to the excitation of one quantum of the stretch vibration. Because the other components change from induced transparency to induced absorption under probe-wavelength variation, they are very probably not related to electronic relaxation processes. The nanosecond component is interpreted as vibrational relaxation. It appears in the relaxation scans as a result of the influence of the stretch vibration on the electronic absorption. Effects of the probe power on the relaxation measurements below 30 K, show that also optical conversion between the two KBr:F-H(OH-) configurations is involved in the relaxation process. These configurations possess different electronic absorption bands and are essentially different orientations of OH- with respect to the F center. The third, strongly temperature-dependent component is associated with the recovery of the thermal equilibrium between these configurations.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Physical review : B : condensed matter and materials physics. - Lancaster, Pa, 1998 - 2015
Publication
Lancaster, Pa : 1996
ISSN
1098-0121 [print]
1550-235X [online]
DOI
10.1103/PHYSREVB.54.6977
Volume/pages
54 :10 (1996) , p. 6977-6987
ISI
A1996VH08200035
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 08.10.2008
Last edited 04.03.2024
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