Laser-induced point-defect reaction in proton-irradiated SiC

The defects produced in 4H-SiC epitaxial layers by irradiation with 200-keV H⁺ were characterized by low-temperature photoluminescence. These defects induce sharp luminescent lines, the so-called alphabet lines. Their intensity shows an evolution under UV-laser irradiation not previously observed. By monitoring the change in the resulting photoluminescence spectra versus time, we distinguish two original ‘families’ of peaks called PB₁ and PB₂. They display a different, and opposite, behaviour with laser irradiation but they are strongly correlated. In particular, the recovering rate of the PB₁ family and the growth rate of the PB₂ family are the same, indicating a structural rearrangement of defects.     

Features of thermoluminescence in anion-defective alumina single crystals after highdose irradiation

The effect of high-dose irradiation by electron beam with nanosecond duration and by gamma-rays on thermoluminescence (TL) yield of anion-defective dosimetric Al₂O₃:С crystals is studied. It is shown that in a wide dose range up to 10 kGy no significant changes in the TL curve shape and the temperature position of the main dosimetric peak (T = 460 K) are observed. The TL yield of this peak is in saturation in the high-dose range 5–80 kGy. Then anomalous increase in TL yield is registered at the dose growth up to 800 kGy. With that an intensive band appears in the green spectrum region in the photoluminescence spectrum. The role of aggregate defects forming F₂-type centers with the increase of TL yield in Al₂O₃:С crystals under high-dose irradiation is discussed.     

PL and CL degradation and characteristics of SrAl2O4: Eu,Dy phosphors

Strontium aluminate phosphors are ideal for luminescent infrastructure materials. Their brightness and persistent glow time are much higher than previously used sulphide phosphors. Strontium aluminates prepared by the sol–gel and combustion methods are compared with commercially available strontium aluminate. High luminescent efficient SrAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺ pulsed laser deposited (PLD) thin films were also produced using the commercially available powder. Photoluminescence (PL) degradation studies showed that the phosphor intensity decreased about 20% over a period of 2 weeks under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that cathodoluminescence (CL) degradation is due to the formation of SrO due to electron stimulated surface reactions. The light output mechanism of the phosphor is also discussed in more detail.     

Photoluminescence of irradiation induced defects on CR-39

A gamma-irradiated poly allyl diglycol carbonate solid state nuclear track detector is studied by means of photoluminescence. The irradiation is done using a ⁶⁰Co cell with a dose rate of 7.5 kGy/h. Photoluminescent radiation is recorded with excitation radiation of wavelength 346 nm. A broad luminescent band shows a possible dosemetric property for γ-radiation in the dose range 0.1–8.0 MGy. High-dose irradiation by γ-rays introduces donor and acceptor levels in the forbidden energy gap. The broad band may be attributed to the number of overlapping emissions caused by transitions between these acceptor and donor levels.     

Unlocking The Inherent Luminescence of Eu2+/Eu3+ by Light-Induced Oxidation for Invisible Optical Storage

Color-tunable luminescent materials are increasingly recognized for their potential applications in high-security anticounterfeiting and optical storage technologies. However, luminescent materials with high-contrast photoswitching behavior that change their luminescence properties in response to external stimuli are extremely scarce. In this study, a time-dependent color-tunable luminescent material, Na₂BaSiO₄:Eu²⁺ (NBSO:Eu), is introduced. This material leverages the inherent luminescence of Eu²⁺/Eu³⁺ through a light stimulus. Under 365 nm irradiation, the blue luminescence of Eu²⁺ gradually degraded over time, reaching a luminescence contrast of up to 88%. This degradation is accompanied by a color change of the emitted light from blue to red (Eu³⁺). These color changes can be reversibly tuned by alternating light or thermal stimuli. Experimental investigations revealed that the photogenerated Eu³⁺ ions and defects, acting as killer centers, induced multicolor luminescent switching behavior. Owing to their unique optical properties, NBSO:Eu offers exciting opportunities for designing advanced dynamic anticounterfeiting and invisible optical storage.     

Structural and radiation color centers and the dielectric properties of doped yttrium aluminum garnet crystals

The results of experimental and theoretical studies of the spectral and dielectric properties of garnet Y₃Al₅O₁₂ crystals are analyzed. The crystals studied were grown under different conditions and were either pure or contained iron-group ion impurities (Ti, Cr, Fe). The crystals were studied before and after irradiation by γ rays and high-energy electrons. A model is proposed for the formation of color centers and their influence on luminescent and other optical and dielectric properties.     

Study of fission track registration efficiency of γ-irradiated polyester track detector in solution medium

The fission track registration efficiency (K _wet) of the Garware polyester track (GPF) detector in solution has been determined with respect to the Lexan detector whose K _wet is very well known in the literature. The K _wet is found to be (1.2 ± 0.1) 10⁻³ cm. The track registration efficiency of the GPF detector in solution is better than the efficiencies of other nuclear track detectors reported in the literature. This implies that the threshold energies for track registration are different for different detectors and that GPF detector has a lower threshold-energy value. The effects of gamma irradiation in the dose range of 5–51 Mrad on the fission track registration efficiency (K _wet) of this track detector from the solution medium are also investigated. The results show that the K _wet values for the gamma-irradiated detectors in the above dose range in 2M HNO₃ solution medium decreases by ∼7–15%. The changes induced in the gamma-irradiated detectors as a function of gamma dose have also been studied by bulk-etch rate measurements.     

Luminescent europium(III) and terbium(III) nicotinate complexes covalently linked to a 1,10-phenanthroline functionalised sol-gel glass

Sol-gel glasses with covalently linked lanthanide complexes are luminescent materials which can be processed at ambient temperatures, which have a good solubility and uniform distribution of the complexes in the host matrix. In this study, a luminescent terbium(III) complex was covalently coupled to an organic-inorganic hybrid material prepared by the sol-gel process. This was realised by use of nicotinate groups as the ligands for the terbium(III) ion. The [Tb(C₅H₄NCO₂)₃(phen)(H₂O)₂] complex was immobilised on the sol-gel glass matrix and showed a green photoluminescence upon irradiation with ultraviolet light. The nicotinate groups act as an antenna to absorb the incident light and channel the excitation energy to the terbium(III) ion. The sol-gel glass was also prepared for the corresponding europium(III) complex. In this case, excitation of the europium(III) ion was possible via both the nicotinate ligands and the 1,10-phenanthroline ligands. High-resolution luminescence and excitation spectra were recorded and the radiative lifetimes were measured.     

Preparation and optical properties of HgWO<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanorods by hydrothermal method coupled with ultrasonic technique

For the first time, a newly luminescent nanomaterial, monoclinic wolframite-type HgWO₄ nanorods (diameter: ∼200 nm; length: ~2000 nm) are prepared by hydrothermal method together with ultrasonic technique. Fluorescent (FL) and UV–Vis results both show that for HgWO₄, ultrasonic irradiation procedure will change its optical behaviors greatly. When the crystals become into nanorods, the fluorescent emitting peaks (365 and 495 nm) shift to central region, and finally form a wider one at 435 nm. Similar results of UV–visible absorption peaks are observed for these two products. FTIR spectra further characterize their structure. All above unique optical performances might result from both small sizes caused by ultrasonic irradiation procedure and involvement of incompact d¹⁰ electrons. Moreover, possible synthesis mechanisms of HgWO₄ nanorods are also investigated.     

Temperature dependences of the ion-electron emission of glassy carbons under 30-keV argon ion irradiation

The temperature dependences (?200°C < T ≤ 350°C) of the ion-induced electron emission yield γ and the structures of modified surface layers have been studied experimentally for SU-850, SU-1000, SU-1300, SU-2000, and SU-2500 glassy carbons under high-dose 30-keV Ar⁺ and N ₂ ⁺ ion irradiation. Glassy carbons manufactured using a relatively high heat-treatment temperature T _ht exhibit a stepwise increase in the electron yield at certain annealing temperatures T _a. The same behavior is observed for graphitized carbon materials. For low-temperature glassy carbons, the electron yield exhibits a monotonic increase with increasing irradiation temperature. The observed differences are related to the occurrence of different structural types of fullerene-like nanoparticles in the low-and high-temperature glassy carbons.     

Luminescence properties of a new Mn-activated red long-afterglow phosphor

A new phosphor, CaZnGe₂O₆:Mn²⁺, which emits red long-lasting phosphorescence centered at 648 nm upon UV light excitation, is prepared by the conventional high-temperature solid-state method and its luminescent properties are systematically investigated in this paper. XRD, photoluminescence, thermoluminescence spectra and afterglow decay curve are used to characterize the synthesized phosphor. This phosphor is well crystallized by calcination at 1150 °C for 3 h and possesses excellent performance. The color coordinate values of this phosphor are x=0.64, y=0.26 under 250 nm UV light excitation. Under 250-nm UV light irradiation, this phosphor shows obvious long-lasting phosphorescence that can be seen with the naked eye in the dark clearly after the irradiation source has been removed for more than 3 h. The possible mechanism of this red-light-emitting long-afterglow phosphor is also investigated based on the experiment results.     

Intense visible luminescence from Nd-doped yttrium oxysulfide

We report on a novel luminescent phenomenon in Y₂O₂S doped with Nd³⁺. After irradiation by a 261 nm ultraviolet (UV) light into the Y₂O₂S host lattice, the Nd³⁺-doped Y₂O₂S phosphor emits intense blue luminescence in the visible light region. Moreover, this blue luminescence can also be obtained by exciting directly into the Nd³⁺ energy absorption itself. XRD, photoluminescence, and fluorescence decay curve are used to characterize the synthesized phosphor. The spectroscopic data indicate that all the visible emission peaks are originated from the electrical transitions of Nd³⁺, and the strong luminescence of the Nd³⁺ is considered to be due to an efficient energy transfer from the Y₂O₂S host lattice to the Nd³⁺ in Y₂O₂S:Nd³⁺. The optimum concentration for the luminescence Nd³⁺ is determined to be 1 mol% of Y³⁺ in Y₂O₂S host. The critical energy transfer distance has been calculated by the concentration quenching and the possible luminescent process of this blue luminescence-emitting phosphor is also investigated.     

Long-lasting near-infrared persistent luminescence from β-Ga2O3:Cr nanowire assemblies

Near-infrared (NIR) persistent luminescent β-Ga₂O₃:Cr³⁺ nanowire assemblies were synthesized by a hydrothermal process followed by calcination. The phosphor exhibits more than 4 h afterglow in the wavelength range of 650-850 nm after ceasing the ultraviolet light (280-360 nm) irradiation. The trap structure and persistent luminescence mechanism were revealed by thermoluminescence measurement. The β-Ga₂O₃:Cr³⁺ nanowire assemblies may find applications as identification taggants in security and optical probes in bio-imaging.     

Facile patterning of luminescent GdVO4:Ln (Ln?=?Eu3+, Dy3+, Sm3+) thin films by microcontact printing process

Ordered arrays of luminescent GdVO₄:Ln (Ln = Eu³⁺, Dy³⁺, Sm³⁺) films with dot patterns have been successfully fabricated via microcontact printing method. The soft-lithography process utilizes a PDMS elastomeric mold as the stamp combined with a Pechini-type sol–gel process to produce luminescent patterns on quartz plates, in which a GdVO₄:Ln (Ln = Eu³⁺, Dy³⁺, Sm³⁺) precursor solution was employed as ink. The ordered luminescent GdVO₄:Ln patterns were revealed by optical microscopy and their microstructure, consisting of nanometer-scale particles, as demonstrated by scanning electronic microscopy observations. In addition, photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence were carried out to characterize the patterned GdVO₄:Ln (Ln = Eu³⁺, Dy³⁺, Sm³⁺) samples. Upon UV-light or electron-beam irradiation, the rare earth ions Eu³⁺, Dy³⁺, and Sm³⁺ in the crystalline GdVO₄ host show their characteristic transitions dominated by ⁵D₀–⁷F₂, ⁴F_9/2–⁶H_13/2 ,and ⁴G_5/2–⁶H_7/2, respectively. These results make the combining soft lithography with a Pechini-type sol–gel route have potential applications as rare-earth luminescent pixels for next-generation field-emission display devices.     

Syntheses and X-ray excited luminescence properties of Ba3BP3O12 , BaBPO5 and Ba3BPO7

Ba₃BP₃O₁₂, BaBPO₅ and Ba₃BPO₇ have been synthesized by the solid-state reaction method. The X-ray-excited luminescent properties of these compounds were investigated, all of these compounds show broad emission band with the peak center at about 400 nm. The room temperature fluorescent decay of these compound powders was measured. Compared to the other two compounds, Ba₃BPO₇ has the maximum emission intensity while Ba₃BP₃O₁₂ has the fastest decay time with 56.3 ns(99.7%). Combining with the X-ray excited luminescent spectra and fluorescent decay profiles of these compounds, it is supposed that all of these compounds should correspond to two different luminescent mechanisms; the luminescent mechanisms of these compounds were discussed. The potential applications of these compounds are pointed out.     

Color and luminescence centers in LiF(U) crystals irradiated by pulsed electron beams

Characteristics of color and luminescent centers produced in LiF:U⁶⁺ (0.01M%) crystals by pulses of accelerated electrons (0.25 MeV, 15 ns, 8–200 mJ/cm²) at 77–350 K are studied using time-resolved optical spectroscopy. It is found that the time constant of the exponential rise of the cathodoluminescence intensity in the visual spectral range after completion of the irradiation pulse coincides with the decay time of a group of lines in the UV region at T = 77–280 K and with the decay time of the number of V _k -centers induced by the pulse of irradiation at T > 280 K. The mechanisms of population of the ground radiative level of the emission center and the structure of its electronic and nuclear subsystems are discussed.     

Swift heavy ion irradiation-induced modifications of tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum thin films

Tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq₃), one of the most widely used light emitting and electron transport materials in organic luminescent devices, has been synthesized. Alq₃ thin films have been deposited by a thermal evaporation process on glass substrates. The effect of swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation using 40 MeV Li³⁺ on the Alq₃ thin films has been studied by UV-visible, infrared, photoluminescence (PL) and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) spectroscopy. From TRPL studies, it is found that the PL of Alq₃ thin films arises from two species corresponding to its two geometrical isomers, namely facial and meridional having two different life times. It is also confirmed that the PL and lifetimes of excitons decrease with the increase of ion fluences of SHI of 40 MeV Li³⁺, indicating a transfer of exciton energy to unstable cationic Alq₃ species generated by SHI irradiation.     

Optically detected magnetic resonance of the zinc vacancy in ZnS

Optical detection of magnetic resonance (ODMR) is reported for the single negative charge state, V_Zn^?, of the isolated zinc vacancy in ZnS. Produced by 2.5 MeV electron irradiation, it is detected in a distant donor-acceptor (DA) pair luminescent band at 570 nm in which the vacancy acts as the acceptor. Excitation and emission spectral dependences of the V_Zn^? ODMR signals are analyzed in terms of a configurational coordinate model. We conclude that the double acceptor level (V_Zn⁼/V_Zn^?) is located ～1.1 eV from the valence band edge and that the trigonal Jahn-Teller relaxation energy for the V_Zn^? state is ～0.5 eV.     

Color changes in CR-39 nuclear track detector by gamma and laser irradiation

A study of the effect of gamma and laser irradiation on the color changes of polyallyl diglycol (CR-39) solid-state nuclear track detector was performed. CR-39 detector samples were classified into two main groups. The first group was irradiated with gamma doses at levels between 20 and 300 kGy, whereas the second group was exposed to infrared laser radiation with energy fluences at levels between 0.71 and 8.53 J/cm². The transmission of these samples in the wavelength range 300–2500 nm, as well as any color changes, was studied. Using the transmission data, both the tristimulus and the coordinate values of the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) LAB were calculated. Also, the color differences between the non-irradiated samples and those irradiated with different gamma or laser doses were calculated. The results indicate that the CR-39 detector acquires color changes under gamma or laser irradiation, but it has more response to color changes by gamma irradiation. In addition, structural property studies using infrared spectroscopy were performed. The results indicate that the irradiation of a CR-39 detector with gamma or laser radiations causes the cleavage of the carbonate linkage that can be attributed to the ?H abstraction from the backbone of the polymer, associated with the formation of CO₂ and ?OH with varying intensities.     

Dose effects on the long persistent luminescence properties of beta irradiated SrAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+ phosphor

The SrAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ is a phosphor characterized by a long persistent luminescence (PLUM) when it is excited with UV–VIS light and ionizing radiation. In this paper, we study the PLUM behavior as a function of beta irradiation dose in the 0–650 Gy range with a fixed dose rate of 5 Gy/min. The PLUM intensity showed a complex decay behavior, exhibiting a near linear response in the 0–1.7 Gy low dose range and gradually increasing up to 160 Gy. The PLUM reached the saturation for higher doses (>275 Gy) with a slight decrease in the range of 300–650 Gy. In addition, a systematic PLUM enhancement was produced after a thermal cleaning procedure and irradiation at RT in a series of 10 cycles. The observed phenomenon may be related to a radiation-induced process of charge trapping accumulation, which is triggered by thermal stimulation during the irradiation stage. It improves the luminescent characteristics of SrAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ phosphors rendering them suitable for permanent display and illumination devices.