Radiation-induced luminescence in magnesium aluminate spinel crystals and ceramics

Radioluminescence (RL) and thermoluminescence (TL) in spinel crystals and ceramics were investigated to elucidate the radiation-induced electronic processes in single crystals grown by Verneuil and Czochralski methods as well as transparent and translucent ceramics. Both RL and TL spectra demonstrate a UV-band related to electron–hole recombination luminescence at intrinsic defects; green and red luminescence are identified with emission of Mn2+- and Cr3+-ions, respectively. The kinetics of growth of different RL luminescence bands depending on dose at the prolonged X-irradiation shows the competitive character of charge and energy transfer between defects and impurity ions. The dependence of RL intensity on the temperature of the sample was measured in the range of 300–750 K and compared with TL for different emission bands. The variety of maxima in the temperature dependence of RL and in the glow curves of TL measured for different luminescence bands in spinels of different origins and crystalline forms is used to show that charge carrier traps and luminescence centers are not isolated defects but are complexes of defects and impurities. The formation, structure and properties of these complexes depend on the processing conditions.