Laser-stimulated fluorescence of diamond

Abstract

The ambient temperature laser-stimulated emission from 26 diamonds of types I, IIA, and IIB has been studied using 632.8, 514.5, and 488.0 nm excitation, and equivalent data collected for four stones at liquid nitrogen temperature. Considerable variations in behaviour are correlated with the presence of different defect centres, and with the apparent need to stimulate the emission with quanta of a fairly precise energy. All of the considerable and variable fine structure superimposed upon the gross features of the emission systems is shown to be of electronic origin. Combination of these results with concurrent e.s.r. studies (by others) of the same set of stones allows further definition of the origin of the emission.