Laser Generation of Excitons and Fluorescence in Anthracene Crystals

Abstract

Experimental and theoretical studies are reported of the short‐lived and delayed fluorescence of anthracene single crystals, excited by single‐ and double‐photon absorption. A giant‐pulse ruby laser provides the primary source of radiation of 14 400 cm⁻¹ (up to 10²⁷ photons/cm²·sec) and is also used to generate second‐harmonic radiation from ADP, as well as stimulated Raman radiation of 12 800 and 17 500 cm⁻¹ from liquid oxygen. The time dependence of the fluorescence intensity is studied as a function of laser intensity, crystal temperature and excitation wavelength. The very intense fast fluorescence with a half‐life of 30 nsec at 300°K, characteristic of singlet exciton decay, and the relatively weak delayed fluorescence which involves intermediate triplet states, are separated using sectored disks. It is concluded that the triplet state at 14 750 cm⁻¹ can be populated (i) by direct absorption of laser photons involving an activation energy of 350 cm⁻¹; (ii) via two‐photon absorption, presumably leading to a vibrationally excited state of the ¹B_2u exciton, followed by intersystem crossing; (iii) via one‐photon (second‐harmonic) excitation from levels≥700 cm⁻¹ into the singlet absorption band, followed by conversion of the singlet exciton into a triplet pair. The latter process is suggested by the observed activation energy of 700 cm⁻¹. In agreement with these interpretations, the delayed fluorescence intensity is found to vary with the second to fourth power of the laser intensity depending on the experimental conditions. Also, light of 17 500 cm⁻¹ leads exclusively to Process (i), light of 12 800 cm⁻¹ exclusively to (ii). Triplet lifetimes from 2–17 msec are obtained, depending on crystal purity, which indicates that unimolecular triplet decay is an extrinsic, radiationless process. A singlet—triplet intersystem crossing rate constant of about 3×10⁻⁵ sec⁻¹ is estimated. The triplet—triplet annihilation rate constant is found to be about 5×10⁻¹¹ cm³ sec⁻¹. This value considered together with the triplet‐pair creation process suggests a triplet exchange rate ≳ 10¹³ sec⁻¹ and a triplet diffusion constant ≳o5×10⁻⁴cm²/sec.