Luminescence of ferroelectric crystals: LiNbO₃ and KNbO₃

Abstract

The thermostimulated luminescence and time-resolved luminescence of LiNbO₃ (congruent, stoichiometric, Eu−, Mn−, or Cr−doped) and KNbO₃ crystals (undoped, Fe−, or Mn− doped) excited by X-ray, pulsed nitrogen laser or pulsed electron beam were studied. The luminescence decay times of niobium-oxygen groups (regular or perturbed by defect or impurity) were obtained. It is shown that the energy transfer from bulk to the activator in LiNbO₃ is not effective during the electron-hole recombination process.

Key Words:

• Keywords: LiNbO₃
• KNbO₃
• time−resolved luminescence