Thermoluminescence and low-temperature luminescence of beryllium oxide

•We studied pristine and additively-colored BeO crystals and BeO-ceramics.•We studied X-rays induced luminescence spectra at 6 and 293 K.•We studied spectrally integrated thermoluminescence glow curves at 6-293 K.•We determined parameters for dominate TL glow peak located below RT.•A number of low-intensity TL peaks were found between 100 and 270K.

Beryllium oxide in the forms of either single crystals (pristine, additively-colored) or hot-pressed ceramic samples was studied in the energy range of 1.2–6.2 eV using both the thermoluminescence (TL) and steady-state X-ray induced luminescence (XRL) techniques. The XRL emission spectra were recorded at 6 and 293 K, whereas TL glow curves were studied after X-ray exposure at T0 = 6 K upon linear heating in the temperature range from 6 to 293 K. A search for TL manifestations of shallow trapping centers was carried out using a sensitive channel for TL registration in the range of more than six decades of change in intensity. The participation of shallow trapping centers in the process of recombination luminescence excitation at 6–293 K; branching electronic excitations between different recombination channels; the dominance of the self-trapped exciton and F-center emissions in spectra of the low-temperature recombination luminescence in BeO at 6–293 K were discussed.