Optical Properties of Irradiated Topaz Crystals

The results of an investigation of UV-Visible absorption and photoluminescence spectra of colorless topaz before and after neutron irradiation, natural blue topaz from Ukraine, and yellow topaz are presented. We assume that the absorption band similar to 620 nm and broad emission band 300-700 nm in topaz crystals are associated with exchange interaction between a radiation defect (anion vacancies, which capture one or two electrons) and impurity ions Cr3+, Fe3+ and Mn2+.