Formation and trapping of electron excitations in neon cryocrystals

Specific features of exciton states in neon are analyzed in the approximati on of a rigid lattice, taking into account its easy deformability. Regular alteration of atomic and molecular states upon a transition from heavy iner t elements to light elements leading to the emergence of a number of typica l distinctions of band excitations in neon is considered. Dynamic parameter s of electrons, holes, and excitons associated with resonant energy transfe r in the crystal and with self-trapping of quasiparticles are specified. It is shown that the strong coupling of the lowest exciton state with local v ibrations of the surrounding lattice results in mixing of free and self-tra pped excitations and in a considerable decrease in the mobility of excitons . A comparison of experimental and theoretical absorption spectra of mixed states makes it possible to refine the parameters of the exciton-phonon int eraction for the singlet and triplet components of the exciton. (C) 1999 Am erican Institute of Physics.