LOCALIZATION AND MIGRATION OF ELEMENTARY ELECTRON EXCITATIONS IN GLASSY SILICA AND SODIUM SILICATE GLASS.

The paper reports on an experimental study into the features of the localization and migration of electron excitation in vitreous silica and compares the results with data previously obtained for electron excitations in quartz crystals and a more complex sodium silicate glass. In the case of crystalline quartz, three types of excitons have been identified: unrelaxed excitons, mobile in the 'hot' state and not requiring additional energy for movement; relaxed, capable of moving in thermally stimulated hops; and immobile autolocalized excitons. It has previously been shown that the effects associated with the emergence and migration of excitons are also characteristic of vitreous silica, but the efficiency of the exciton migration in a glass is less than in a crystal. According to the data in the present study, this effect is produced by the fact that the unrelaxed excitons make virtually no contribution to the transport of energy.