Application of pulsed OSL to the separation of the luminescence components from a mixed quartz/feldspar sample

It is known that the pulsed optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) characteristics of quartz and feldspars are very different. These differences can be used to preferentially discriminate against the feldspar signal in mixed quartz⧹⧹feldspar mineral assemblages, or in separated quartz contaminated with a feldspar signal. We have developed instrumentation for the study of high-speed pulse stimulated OSL. Our system uses the standard blue/IR LED stimulation unit of a Risø reader (allowing stimulation pulses down to 1–2μs duration) and can thus be applied to the routine analysis of samples. Using this stimulation source, and high-speed photon timing, the OSL yield can be monitored throughout the pulsing cycle and subsequent OSL decay. It is found that the total photon yield per unit stimulation power in pulsed mode is, for quartz, twice and, for feldspar, nearly four times, that in continuous wave mode. Observation of this OSL signal, between stimulation pulses, is seen to be characteristic of the mineral being examined, and has been used to preferentially discriminate against feldspar contamination in a mixed quartz/feldspar sample. Simple implementation of this technique by gating the counting period, so that counts are only accumulated during a windowed period, reduces the feldspar signal to 1.6% of its original value relative to that of the quartz.