Formation of radiation defects in high-purity silicate glasses in dependence on dopants and UV radiation sources

The radiation-resistance of high-purity glasses (∼1 ppm iron) of the type BK7 trademark, DURAN trademark and lead silicate (PbS) with high transmission in the UV region was studied. The investigations were concentrated on the influence of UV-absorbing dopants on defect generation. These were refining agents, As2O3, Sb2O3, NaCl, and TiO2 as solarization suppressing agent for the visible range in BK7, and small impurities of tin ions in DURAN. The samples were irradiated with UV lamps and excimer lasers (XeCl-308 nm, KrF-248 nm, ArF-193 nm). The defect generation increases with the use of refining agents in BK7 and with the presence of small amounts of Sn2+ in DURAN. The influence of TiO2 on the defect generation strongly depends on the radiation source. A model explaining the defect generation in these glasses is suggested. (orig.)