Short-living defects and recombination processes in Li6Gd(BO3)3 crystals

Results of a study of transient optical absorption (TOA) and luminescence of lithium-gadolinium orthoborate Li6Gd(BO3)3 (LGBO) in the visible and ultraviolet spectral regions are presented. As revealed by absorption optical spectroscopy with nanosecond time resolution, the LGBO TOA derives from optical transitions in hole centers, with the optical density relaxation kinetics being mediated by interdefect tunneling recombination involving these centers and neutral lithium atoms acting as electronic Li0 centers. At 290 K, the Li0 centers are involved in thermally stimulated migration, which is not accompanied by carrier transfer to the conduction or valence band. The slow TOA decay kinetics components, with characteristic times ranging from a few milliseconds to seconds, have been assigned to diffusion-limited annihilation of lithium interstitials with vacancies. The mechanisms responsible for the creation and relaxation of short-living Frenkel defect pairs in the LGBO cation sublattice have been analyzed.