CHARACTERIZATION OF INHOMOGENEITY IN HIGH-QUALITY QUARTZ CRYSTALS

Infrared and near-infrared spectrometry, helium-neon laser absorption measurements and gamma-irradiation were used together as non-destructive techniques to identify mechanical and growth defects, hydrogen content and aluminium defect centres in high-quality natural and synthetic quartz crystals. These measurements were compared with the results of chemical analyses obtained using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry in order to correlate all these results with the intrinsic quality of the material used in the manufacture of high-performance quartz resonators.