Absorption Spectra of Cuprous Oxide Quenched

Abstract

Quenching experiments are performed with pure impure crystals of Cu₂O, the latter of which contained small quantities of Zn, Ni and Ag. As regards the impure crystal quenched from 950°C to room temperature, all absorption lines appearing in the yellow and the green region of its spectrum taken at 77°K shift to red. The Ag-mingled crystal shows that it is much larger in line-shift than the others, whereas it reveals very small line-shifts when slowly cooled within the above limits of temperature. The large shift is inferred to be due to numerous “complexes” which consist of Ag⁺-ions and Cu⁺-ion vacancies. As to the pure crystal rapidly cooled, its absorption spectra display slight line-shifts, sharp lines about the yellow region when observed at 4.2°K and disturbed lines of absorption in the green series, while normal lines in the yellow, their interpretations being examined.