Ion induced luminescence of alkali halides with CN impurity

Abstract
During a study of luminescence induced by low energy (20 keV) light ion (H+, He+) impact on certain alkali halides (LiCl, NaBr, NaCl, KBr, KCl) we have observed a band spectrum in the region 230 to 350 nm. The bands are separated by 0.26 eV and have a half‐width of 0.12 eV; no fine structure is observed. Identical bands of much increased intensity are observed when samples deliberately doped with CN are bombarded. The phenomenon is not found with KBr crystals. We suggest that the observed bands are due to transitions in the CN radical, possibly the D 2Π1X 2Σ+ transition that is observed as a very weak transition in discharges. The mechanism whereby CN is formed on the samples remains unclear.

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