Two possible causes of the stage of emission buildup after excitation by a nanosecond electron flux pulse

•LiF–WO3 and YLiF4:Nd3+ crystals were prepared.•Influence of transient absorption on the kinetics of cathodoluminescence was investigated.•Model of the luminescence buildup due to the relaxation of the induced transient absorption was developed.•Model of the decay kinetics of the luminescence buildup in the crystal with competing centers was developed.

Impact of short-time radiation pulse on optical materials initiates luminescence flash, formation and transformation of color centers (defects) in them. The present paper is devoted to the study of the mechanisms of the occurrence of the luminescence buildup stage in LiF–WO3 and YLiF4:Nd3+ crystals in which this effect is found to be steady at 300 K after exposure to the high-energy electron flux pulse of nanosecond duration, also proposed a model to describe the kinetics of cathodoluminescence growth under pulsed excitation.