Transformations in Crystalline Ammonium Nickel Tutton Salt Induced by Infrared Hole Burning

The title compound doped with a small amount of deuterium shows infrared bands due to the N−D and O−D stretching vibrations. When one of the N−D bands is irradiated with an infrared laser, holes and anti-holes are produced. The pattern of these holes/anti-holes depends on the irradiation time. A ten-minute irradiation produces holes/anti-holes in the N−D bands only. A ten-second irradiation produces holes/anti-holes in the O−D bands as well. The features produced by the ten-second irradiation decay during the longer irradiation. Thus, the burning and decay kinetics of the Tutton salts involve processes that occur on at least two time scales.