Sweeping and irradiation effects on hydroxyl defects in crystalline quartz

A study of electrodiffusion and irradiation effects of hydroxyl defects has been carried out on good-quality optically clear natural quartz crystals. The crystals were of Arkansas and Brazilian origin. Various OH^- related point defects have been monitored using infrared absorption measurements in the 3100-3700 cm^-1 range. Estimates from the irradiation results show that the Brazilian crystal has relatively much higher concentration of hydrogen than the Arkansas crystal. The authors designated the Brazilian sample as high-H and the Arkansas as low-H quartz. High- and low-H samples of natural quartz in three different conditions, unswept, Na-swept, and H-swept, were subjected to a sequence of low- and room-temperature irradiations that separate proton and alkali motion. The results are discussed in terms of proton and alkali motion to shallow and deep traps and compared with cultured quartz