The accumulation of experimental evidence available in the literature, especially from optical emission and excitation spectra, demonstrates that defect sites in luminescent materials are primarily complexes extending over multiple lattice sites. Included in such luminescent materials are those used in luminescence dosimetry (using thermoluminescence and/or optically stimulated luminescence). When defect complexes form, an understanding of recombination processes in these materials must include charge transfer via both delocalized and localized mechanisms, including both excited state and ground state tunnelling among nearest-neighbour sites. The various clustering mechanisms and recombination pathways that result from defect cluster formation are complex and described by a multitude of relevant parameters. There is no obvious route to optimising so many parameters, except by trial and error through massive amounts of experimentation, as everything from composition, growth, powder formation and subsequent thermal treatments can make dramatic changes to final luminescence and dosimetric properties. Reliance on idealised historic models is inappropriate in terms of improving practical dosimeters.

文献中可用的实验证据的积累，特别是来自光发射和激发光谱的证据表明，发光材料中的缺陷位点主要是在多个晶格位点上延伸的复合物。包括在这些发光材料中的是用于发光剂量测定（使用热释光和/或光激发光）的那些。当缺陷复合物形成时，对这些材料中复合过程的理解必须包括通过离域和局部机制的电荷转移，包括最近邻位点之间的激发态和基态隧穿。由缺陷簇形成导致的各种聚类机制和重组途径很复杂，并由大量相关参数描述。除了通过大量实验进行反复试验外，没有明显的方法可以优化这么多参数，因为从成分、生长、粉末形成到随后的热处理等所有方面都会对最终的发光和剂量学特性产生巨大的变化。在改进实际剂量计方面，依赖理想化的历史模型是不合适的。