Electron traps and recombination centres in KBr

Electron-irradiated, additively coloured, halogenated and as-grown KBr crystals have been plastically deformed at 80 °K. Thermoluminescence and thermally stimulated current peaks have been observed during warming to 290 °K. These peaks are attributed to the release of electrons from traps produced by dislocation motion. The visible luminescence with a maximum at about 4500 Å is observed from electron-irradiated and halogenated KBr during warming to 290 °K after deformation at 80 °K, and is also observed during and after plastic deformation at 290 °K. It is suggested that the luminescence is due to electron-hole recombination at a trapped-hole centre which may be of interstitial halogen type.