Luminescence of ion-irradiated -quartz

Optical functionality of materials used in devices is the basis of modern photonics. It depends on selected photoactive impurities or low-dimensional structures, which can be tailored by ion implantation. The present survey covers cathode-luminescence spectroscopy performed after Ge, Ba, Na, Rb and Cs ion implantation in a-quartz, in connection with dynamic, laser-induced and chemical epitaxy of the surface layers amorphized during the ion irradiation. The correlations, which emerged for various luminescence bands, ion species and thermal processing methods, allows one to classify the bands into ion-specific and intrinsic ones. The microstructural properties measured by ion beam analysis and transmission electron microscopy will be combined with the luminescence data, and the role of photoactive defects in quartz and nanoparticles of the implants will be discussed. The technologically most attractive case of double Rb/Ge implantation will be highlighted, which combines the achievement of full chemical epitaxy (due to the alkali ions) and a high light output (due to Ge atoms). Finally, some investigations suggested to better understand the interplay between nanostructure and light emission in ion-doped quartz and the enormous potential for photonic application will be outlined.