Quantum-chemical approach to defect formation processes in non-metallic crystals

Results of the quantum-chemical simulation of the formation of structural and radiation defects are reviewed, using ice, silicon, and silicon dioxide as examples. The relationship between the structural elements of these crystals and the structural defects is analysed. Models of the main defects, their optical characteristics, and the activation energy of their migration are discussed. The relationship between the characteristics obtained by quantum-chemical calculations and the parameters of the macroscopic kinetics of the processes induced by defects in dielectric crystals is considered.