Abstract
Cathodoluminescence (CL) and optical absorption properties of rhodonite natural silicate mineral were investigated. CL spectra show an intense Mn
2+
luminescence band, which occurs as broad-band emission in the orange-to-red range. The broadness of the emission is explained by strong interaction of 3d ions with the surrounding crystal field, which is strongly affected by lattice and atomistic vibrations of the ligands. Rhodonite rock exhibits luminescence maxima at 310, 425, and 626 nm. The Raman spectrum of rhodonite (from Turkey) is characterized by an intense band at about 668 cm
−1
assigned to ν
4
bending mode and showed additional bands exhibiting loss of degeneracy of the SiO
4
units. A strong band at 408 cm
−1
is attributed to the ν
2
bending bond.