Proton and neutron irradiation effects of Ti:sapphires

Summary form only given. Various effects of proton and neutron irradiated Ti:sapphires were studied. Proton irradiation induced F, F/sup +/ and V centers in Ti:sapphires and 3310 cm/sup -1/ infrared absorption, and made ultraviolet absorption edge shift to short wave. Neutron irradiation produced a number of F, F/sup +/ and F/sub 2/ centers and larger defects in Ti:sapphires, and changed Ti/sup 4+/ into Ti/sup 3+/ ions. Such valence state variation enhanced characteristic luminescence of Ti:sapphires, and no singular variances of intrinsic fluorescence spectra of Ti:sapphires took place with neutron flux of 1/spl times/10/sup 17/ n/cm/sup 2/, but the fluorescence vanished with neutron flux of 1/spl times/10/sup 18/ n/cm/sup 2/ which means the threshold for the concentration of improving Ti/sup 3+/ ions by neutron irradiation.