Concentration of F2 and F3+ defects in He+ implanted LiF crystals determined by optical transmission and photoluminescence measurements

Abstract Lithium fluoride (LiF) crystals and films treated with ionizing radiation are promising materials to realize light emitting devices in the visible spectral range. We studied the ion dose dependence of the concentration of F 2 and F 3 + active defects, both absorbing at about 450 nm and separately emitting in the visible range, in He + implanted LiF crystals. Quantitative information was deduced from transmission measurements by using a specially developed theoretical model to fit them, and was compared with the results obtained from photoluminescence spectra. Their qualitative agreement confirms the validity of our theoretical approach, which provides a simple and versatile tool of investigation of these peculiar active defects.