Pulsed optically stimulated luminescence for mechanisms studies in quartz

In this study we present pulsed optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) measurements in quartz, directed towards the generation of information relevant to mechanisms studies. Our measurement program covers the pulsed OSL emitted from a number of laboratory-irradiated South Australian quartz samples shone across a wide temperature range. We reveal that although the response is dominated by a single exponential component, it also includes several faint slow components and a temperature-dependent step component. We find that the room temperature time constant of 40.9 +/- 0.2 mu s measured from the pulse fall exceeds the corresponding value of 39.9 +/- 0.2 mu s measured from the rise. Further, application of the Mott-Seitz formula across the temperature range has enabled a value of 0.694 +/- 0.004 eV to be derived for the activation energy associated with thermal quenching. Similar investigations yield a room temperature time constant of 1.60 +/- 0.02 ms and an activation energy of 1.1 +/- 0.05 eV for the strongest of the faint components. Regarding the step component, we find that it dominates the OSL as the temperature is increased. By applying linearly modulated OSL in the 300-450 degrees C high temperature region, we show that the step is generated even in the absence of applied ionising radiation.