The luminescent properties of quartz and silica doped with photoactive ions depend on the structural and chemical properties of the matrix and doping elements. The dynamic solid phase epitaxy of α -quartz during Ba+ -ion implantation at 300-1170 K and its relationship to cathodoluminescence emission are investigated in this work. Rutherford backscattering channeling analysis revealed that the amorphous layer created by 1× 1015 175 keV Ba ions cm2 at 300 K almost disappeared when the implantation temperature was raised to 1120 K. Between 770 and 1100 K the cathodoluminescence spectra taken at room temperature exhibit dramatic changes with the implantation temperature and allow to distinguish between color centers related to quartz, ion-irradiated silica, and implanted Ba ions. After achieving almost complete epitaxial recovery, only a violet band at 3.4 eV remained, which we attribute to Ba -related luminescence centers. Samples first implanted with Ba ions and then postannealed in air or O 2 18 atmosphere up to 1320 K did not show full epitaxy of the amorphized layer. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.