Radiation-induced defects in CoO- and NiO-doped fluoride, phosphate, silicate and borosilicate glasses

Abstract

The influence of cobalt and nickel on the formation of irradiation-induced defects was studied in fluoride, phosphate, silicate and borosilicate glasses. Sample plates of high-purity glasses, undoped and doped with 0.3 mol% CoO and NiO, respectively, were irradiated with UV lamps and with X-rays. The subsequent defect centers, formed at ppm levels, were characterized by EPR and optical UV-VIS spectroscopy. X-ray irradiation caused stronger solarization (excitation of inner electrons) than UV lamp irradiation (selective excitation of valence electrons). More defects were formed in doped than in undoped glasses, generally stronger for Co2+ - than for Ni2+ -doped glasses and especially strong in glasses of high optical basicity where Co2+ and Ni2+ were tetrahedrally coordinated. Co2+ was photooxidized to (Co2+)+ in all glasses, replacing some of the intrinsic hole centers (HC), with (Co2+)+ in tetrahedral coordination: charge transfer band < 400 nm, and (Co2+)+ in octahedral coordination: two bands between 300 and 450 nm. Ni2+ was photooxidized in the (boro-)silicate glasses, which all had a higher basicity, but was photoreduced in the fluoride-phosphate glasses of low basicity. Photoreduced (Ni2+)- was found in the phosphate glass of medium basicity only after X-ray irradiation. The photoionized nickel species also displayed distinct EPR signals, with (Ni2+)+: several bands from 700 to 200 nm, g=2.10; and (Ni2+)-: 330 nm, g1=2.08 and g2=2.26.