An attempt is described to replace the present definition of the kilogram with the mass of a certain number of silicon atoms. A prerequisite for this is that the Avogadro constant, N A , is determined with a relative uncertainty of better than 2 × 10 −8. For the determination, silicon crystals are used. However, the difficulty arising thereby is the measurement of the average molar mass of natural Si. Consequently, a worldwide collaboration has been launched to produce approximately a 5 kg 28 Si single crystal with an enrichment factor greater than 99.985% and of sufficient chemical purity so that it can be used to determine N A with the targeted relative measurement uncertainty mentioned above. In the following, the first successful tests of all technological steps will be reported (enrichment of SiF 4 , distillation into silane and chemical purification, chemical vapour deposition of polycrystalline 28 Si, floating zone growth of a dislocation-free single crystal) and new equipment for the production of high-purity 28 Si with an enrichment of not less than 99.99% will be described. All steps are well defined by a Technical Road Map (TRM28) and all key results are measured by new mass spectrometric, IR spectroscopic and other chemical and physical methods, such as Hall effect, photoluminescence, laser scattering and x-ray topographic methods (TRM for Analytical Monitoring and Certification, TRM28-AMC). The initial enrichment of the gas is >0.999 95 and the depletion during the entire process is <0.000 05. The isotopic homogeneity is checked by natural Si crystal growth and does, in the enriched sphere, not

The phonon-assisted luminescence in AgBr: I is discussed in the framework of a conventional configuration coordinate model in which both optical and acoustic phonons are coupled to the excited electronic states. We derive the expression for the luminescence intensityusing the coherentphonon description for the displacedoscillator (excited impurity) in a consequent way. As compared to the conventional derivation we gain in simplicity and transparency of the calculation. With the formulae derived, the experimental results concerning the spectral features of the luminescence as well as their dependence on temperature are well reproduced. In particular the importance of the acoustical phonon contribution in determining the correct intensity and its temperature dependence is stressed. Furthermore the question of the interpretation of the experiments in terms of the introduced coherent phonon states is discussed.

We resolve the remarkably sharp bound exciton transitions of highly enriched 28Si using a single-frequency laser and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy, as well as photocurrent spectroscopy. Well-resolved doublets in the spectrum of the 31P donor reflect the hyperfine coupling of the electronic and nuclear donor spins. The optical detection of the nuclear spin state, and selective pumping and ionization of donors in specific electronic and nuclear spin states, suggests a number of new possibilities which could be useful for the realization of silicon-based quantum computers.

A metrological challenge is currently underway to replace the present definition of the kilogram. One prerequisite for this is that the Avogadro constant, N A , which defines the number of atoms in a mole, needs to be determined with a relative uncertainty of better than 2 × 10 −8 . The method applied in this case is based on the x-ray crystal density experiment using silicon crystals. The first attempt, in which silicon of natural isotopic composition was used, failed. The solution chosen subsequently was the usage of silicon highly enriched in 28 Si from Russia. First, this paper reviews previous efforts from the very first beginnings to an international collaboration with the goal of producing a 28 Si single crystal with a mass of 5 kg, an enrichment greater than 0.9999 and of sufficient chemical purity. Then the paper describes the activities of a follow-up project, conducted by PTB, to produce a new generation of highly enriched silicon in order to demonstrate the quasi-industrial and reliable production of more than 12 kg of the 28 Si material with enrichments of five nines. The intention of this project is also to show the availability of 28 Si single crystals as a guarantee for the future realisation of the redefined kilogram.

Dramatic reductions of the linewidths of well-known deep centers in 28Si reveal "isotopic fingerprints" of the constituents. The approximately 1014 meV Cu center, thought to be either a Cu pair or an isolated Cu, is shown to contain four Cu atoms, and the approximately 780 meV Ag center is shown to contain four Ag. The approximately 944 meV ;{*}Cu center, thought to be a different configuration of a Cu pair, in fact contains three Cu and one Ag, and a new two-Cu two-Ag center is found. The approximately 735 meV center, previously assigned to Fe, actually contains Au and three Cu. This suggests a family of four-atom (Cu, Ag, Au) centers.