Luminescence studies in swift heavy ion irradiated aluminum silicates

Thermoluminescence (TL) of kyanite single crystals bombarded with 100 MeV swift Ag8+ and Si8+ ions with fluences in the range 1 × 1011–5 × 1014 ions/cm2 has been studied at room temperature (RT). Two TL glows with peaks one at ∼445 K and another one at ∼550 K are recorded in Si8+ ion bombarded kyanite single crystals at a warming rate of 20 K min−1. It is observed that the TL peak intensity increases with increase of ion fluence. This may be attributed to the creation of new traps during bombardment process. However, in the case of Ag8+ ion bombarded samples, a single well resolved glow with peak at ∼520 K is observed in all the samples. Also, photoluminescence (PL) of Ag8+ ion irradiated kyanite single crystals have been studied and it is observed that a pair of sharp as well as strong PL emission bands with peaks at ∼688 and 706 nm along with a broad emission band in the region 710–800 nm at an excitation of 442 nm laser beam. It is found that PL intensity decreases with increase of ion fluence. The decrease in intensity with increase of ion fluence is attributed to amorphization of the sample.