Spatially resolved optical studies of F-center diffusion in KBr crystals.

Spatially resolved optical studies of F-center diffusion during and after the photothermal F\ensuremath{\rightarrow}X color center conversion have been performed by optical scanning and holographic methods in electrolytically colored KBr crystals. Average velocities and diffusion coefficients of F centers have been determined for Gaussian and periodical spatial exposing light intensity distributions. A strong influence of the light intensity gradient has been found on F-center diffusion. It manifests itself by a rapid increase of the effective diffusion coefficient when the light intensity gradient is decreased. This behavior allowed us to explain the observed peculiarities of the holograph…