Radiation Coloration in Glasses

JSGT 1956 V40 T018-T024

Radiation coloration in ordinary glasses has been proposed as being due to a superposition of several absorption bands, each one having characteristics similar to those of an alkali halide F-band. The centres in glass are referred to as G-centres and each centre is proposed as being due to an electron trapped at an oxygen ion vacancy in the neighbourhood of a particular group of one of the many cations in the glass. Inhibition to coloration may take place by the addition of specific amounts of a cation of high valency to the glass melt, while sensitisation occurs when very low additions are made. These phenomena are similar to those observed in the alkali halides, and models have been proposed by the author to explain them in the case of glasses.

M. Levy