Spectroscopic studies of Rydberg states in excimer complexes of inert elements and oxygen
Abstract
Excimer complexes (RO)* of inert gases (R) and oxygen (O) are studied by luminescence analysis technique in solid solutions of these elements. Simultaneous investigations are made for low-energy valence complexes (RO* (1S) and high-energy Rydberg excimers RO* (5S) and R* (3P)O. It is shown that the main role in the formation of excimer excitations is played by free matrix excitons which lead to a dissociation of impurity molecules of oxygen. The complexes RO* (1S) are formed directly as a result of dissociative breakdown of O*2, while Rydberg excimers are formed due to a repeated excitation of frozen O(3P) radicals. A simultaneous coexistence of RO* (1S) and (RO)* complexes indicates that the dynamic equilibrium O⟷O2 is preserved in the matrix. The parameters of Rydberg excimer potentials of (RO)* with a high binding energy D ≃ 2–3 eV are estimated.