NUKLEONIKA 2004, 49(2):43-49

ON THE NATURE OF CHANGES IN THE OPTICAL CHARACTERIZATION PRODUCED IN SAPPHIRE ON ITS IRRADIATION WITH A PULSED POWERFUL STREAM OF HYDROGEN IONS

Vladimir A. Gribkov1,2, Lev I. Ivanov3, Sergej A. Maslyaev3, Valerij N. Pimenov3, Marek J. Sadowski1,4, Elzbieta Skladnik-Sadowska4, Aneta Banaszak4, Grzegorz Kopeĉ5, Yurij N. Cheblukov2, Mikhail A. Kozodaev2, Aleksandr L. Suvorov2, Igor S. Smirnov6

1 Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, 23 Hery Str., 01-497 Warsaw, Poland
2 Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Minatom RF, 25 B. Cheremushkinskaya Str., Moscow 117218, Russia
3 A. A. Baikov Institute of Metallurgy and Material Science RAS, 49 Leninsky pr., Moscow 119991, Russia
4 The Andrzej Soltan Institute for Nuclear Studies, 05-400 Otwock-Œwierk, Poland
5 Institute of Applied Optics, 18 Kamionkowska Str., 03-805 Warsaw, Poland
6 Moscow State Institute of Electronics and Mathematics, 3/12 Trjekhsvyatitelsky pr., Moscow 109028, Russia

Changes in the optical characteristics in synthetic sapphire specimens produced by microsecond pulse irradiation with a stream of hydrogen ions of energies ranging up to tens keV have been observed. Data on decrease in the optical reflection, measured within the wavelength range of 200-900 nm, are presented. This characterization is compared with the data received by optical and atomic force microscopy as well as by lattice structure analysis performed with X-rays. The measurements indicate that the changes of optical parameters are not a consequence of absorption increase and/or sapphire decomposition. They result from modifications of the morphology and structure of surface layer of the sapphire samples, induced by irradiation.