Knowledge Bank

The Raman spectra of single crystal quartz and the Raman and infrared spectra of polycrystalline cristobalite were measured above and below the $\alpha -\beta$ transition temperatures. The spectra of these materials will be related to the structure and properties of vitreous $SiO2$. The Raman spectrum of vitreous $SiO2$ contains bands that were tentatively assigned as due to defect modes localized about the vacancies in the silica network, and vibrational spectra of the irradiated material appear to confirm these assignments. This research was sponsored by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission under contract with the Union Carbide Corporation.