Low Temperature Cathodoluminescence in Disordered SiO2

Authors

Amberly Evans Jensen, Utah State UniversityFollow
JR Dennison, Utah State UnivesityFollow
Gregory Wilson, Utah State UniversityFollow
Justin Dekany, Utah State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science

Volume

42

Issue

1

Publication Date

2014

First Page

272

Last Page

277

Abstract

In recent charging studies, a discernible glow was detected emanating from sample surfaces undergoing electron beam bombardment that resulted from a luminescent effect termed cathodoluminescence. This suggests that some of the materials used as optical elements, structural components, and thermal control surfaces in the construction of space-based observatories might luminesce when exposed to sufficiently energetic charged particle fluxes from the space plasma environment. A central focus of our experiments was the temperature dependence of the luminescent behavior. Here, an overview of our experimental results is given, as well as a qualitative model to describe the luminescent behavior. We look at a simple model of band theory and the filling of localized or trapped states and the electron transitions from which the luminescence originates.

Comments

Published by IEEE in IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. Author post print is available for download through link above.

Recommended Citation

Amberly Evans Jensen, Gregory Wilson, Justin Dekany, Alec M. Sim and JR Dennison “Low Temperature Cathodoluminescence of Space Observatory Materials,” IEEE Trans. on Plasma Sci., 42(1), 2014, 272-277. DOI: 10.1109/TPS.2013.2291873