Photostimulated luminescence of phosphors

The published data on photostimulated luminescence and some new results obtained by the authors with the KCl-Tl phosphor are analyzed. It is shown that for phosphors with associated donor-acceptor pairs photo stimulated luminescence appears as a consequence of an inter-impurity electronic transition. The kinetic aspects of the luminescence depend upon the Coulomb attraction between a quasi-free electron and a charged donor. The character of the radiative recombination is determined by the interaction energy between the two partners and by the trap depth. This enables us to consider various well-known phosphor models from a general point of view. It is emphasized that the coexistence of various mechanisms in the same phosphor must be taken into account to obtain a correct interpretation of the luminescence characteristics. It is also shown that, for the mechanism involving free holes, an exciton must be created before the recombination energy can be transferred to the luminescent center.     

Photostimulated luminescence properties of BaFBr:Eu under ion irradiation

The photostimulated luminescence (PSL) properties of the phosphor BaFBr:Eu after ion beam irradiation was analyzed; in particular, the PSL intensity dependent on ion fluence. The PSL intensity increased linearly with the ion fluence up to 10¹² ions/cm², and subsequently decreased gradually. The ion fluence dependence was observed to be similar among samples containing different F centers or different Eu concentrations. The fluence dependence was quantitatively analyzed based on a trapping model, in which competition between the trapping processes to storage centers and radiation defects is assumed; the model explained the experimental data quantitatively. The results indicate that radiation defects influence the PSL properties via the trapping of photostimulated electrons.     

Photostimulated luminescence of silver clusters in zeolite-Y

Upon UV-irradiation at 254 nm, the photoluminescence of silver atoms in zeolite-Y decreases, meanwhile an absorption band shows up around 840 nm. By photostimulation at 840 nm, fluorescence of silver atoms is detected, which is called photostimulated luminescence, and the photoluminescence of silver atoms is increased slightly. These phenomena are attributed to the charge-transfer interaction between the zeolite framework and the entrapped silver atoms.     

Black-body emission from nanostructured materials

Photoluminescence (PL) experiments on materials of low thermal conductance can cause black-body emission from the sample even at low intensities of laser excitation. This thermal emission may be misinterpreted in terms of quantum emission. Although the quantum origin of most radiative emissions in nanostructured materials such as porous silicon is well established, we show in this paper that SiC nanoparticles and mechanically milled Si do exhibit thermal emission at typical excitation intensities for PL measurements provided the samples are under vacuum. An Si membrane was also investigated and the fact that it did not emit black-body radiation is explained with a simple analysis of the heating in materials of reduced dimensionality.     

Photostimulated luminescence and its capabilities in studies of recombination in phosphors

An analysis is made of the effects of various factors on the temperature dependence of the brightness of photostimulated luminescence. A detailed study is made of the thermal dissociation of hole centers, the thermal ionization of one type of electron center, and repeated localization of electrons. It is shown that the brightness changes observed in photostimulated luminescence as a sample is heated reflect not only the mechanism of photostimulated electron liberation, but also several fundamental processes governing the mechanism for the thermal deexcitation of phosphors.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii Fizika, No. 2, pp. 50–56, February, 1971.     

Nickel nanostructured materials from liquid phase photodeposition

Liquid Phase Photo-Deposition (LPPD) technique has been used to obtain both colloidal particles and thin films of metallic and chloride nickel from solutions of only precursor Ni(acac)₂ (acac=2,4-pentandionato). Metallic nickel was obtained from ethanol solutions by direct nickel(II) photoreduction at 254 nm and by acetone sensitised reaction at 300 nm. In this latter process the rate was higher than in the first one. NiCl₂ was formed from CCl₄ solution by a solvent-initiated reaction. TEM analysis, performed on colloidal particles of nickel, showed that their dimensions are in the range 2–4 nm. The films did not present carbon contamination and were characterized by AFM, XPS and GIXRD. Metallic films consisted of particles of 20–40 nm that are the result of the aggregation of smaller crystallites (4–5 nm). Larger agglomerations (around 200 nm) have been observed for NiCl₂ films.     

Roles of interfaces in nanostructured silicon luminescence

The increasing interest in photonics in the field of communication has led to intense research work on silicon based nanostructures showing efficient photoluminescence. The present paper reports photoluminescence measurements obtained at room temperature in silicon-rich-silica-silica multilayers grown by reactive magnetron sputtering. The silicon nanograin size is controlled via the silicon layer thickness which can be monitored with high accuracy. We aim to develop a comprehensive understanding of the combined roles played by the quantum confinement effect through the silicon grain size and the existence of an interfacial region between the grain and the surrounding silica matrix. Two bands of photoluminescence are displayed in the 600 nm-900 nm range and correspond to the bands previously observed at 2 K. Their origin is demonstrated through a model based on the solution of the Schrödinger equation of the exciton wavefunction in a one-dimension geometry corresponding to the growth direction of the multilayers. The silicon layer as well as the Si-SiO₂ interface thicknesses are the key parameters of the photoluminescence features.Received: 6 April 2004, Published online: 21 October 2004PACS: 78.67.-n Optical properties of low-dimensional, mesoscopic, and nanoscale materials and structures - 73.21.Ac Multilayers - 71.23.An Theories and models; localized states     

Photostimulated formation of sensitized anti-Stokes luminescence centers in AgCl(I) microcrystals

The low-temperature photostimulated activation of sensitized anti-Stokes luminescence in heterogeneous systems based on AgCl(I) microcrystals with adsorbed organic dye molecules and their aggregates is investigated. It is shown that the observed considerable (by more than an order of magnitude) enhancement of the intensity of this luminescence is caused by the formation of silver atoms and few-atom clusters on the surface of AgCl(I) microcrystals, which increase the efficiency of a two-quantum excitation of sensitized anti-Stokes luminescence by optical radiation in the range 630–730 nm with the flux density 10¹³–10¹⁵ quantum cm^?2s^?1. Analysis of all the experimental results indicates that the excitation mechanism of anti-Stokes luminescence is based on successive electron transfer or electron-excitation energy transfer from a dye molecule to an atomic-molecular dispersive silver center.     

Spectral luminescence properties of nanostructured Ce-Nd-Containing silica gel-glasses

Complex Ce⁴⁺-Nd³⁺ centers were formed in silica gel-glasses. These centers were characterized by weak cross-relaxation quenching of luminescence; an increased luminescence branching ratio in the ⁴F_3/2→⁴I_11/2, ⁴I_13/2 transitions; strong structuring of the analogous spectral bands; and effective intracenter sensitization of luminescence. On reducing the Ce⁴⁺ ions to the triply charged state, the structure of the luminescence bands of Nd³⁺ ions became weaker and the ratio of their intensities approached the value typical of an Nd-containing silica gel-glass.     

Complex nanostructured materials from segmented copolymers prepared by ATRP

The development of new controlled/living radical polymerization processes, such as Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) and other techniques such as nitroxide mediated polymerization and degenerative transfer processes, including RAFT, opened the way to the use of radical polymerization for the synthesis of well-defined, complex functional nanostructures. The development of such nanostructures is primarily dependent on self-assembly of well-defined segmented copolymers. This article describes the fundamentals of ATRP, relevant to the synthesis of such systems. The self-assembly of block copolymers prepared by ATRP is illustrated by three examples. In the first, block copolymers of poly(butyl acrylate) with polyacrylonitrile phase separate, leading to spherical, cylindrical or lamellar morphologies, depending on the block copolymer composition. At a higher temperature, polyacrylonitrile block converts to nanostructured carbon clusters, whereas poly(butyl acrylate) block serves as a sacrificial block, aiding the development of designed nanostructures. In the second example, conductive nanoribbons of poly(n-hexylthiophene) surrounded by a matrix of organic polymers are formed from block copolymers prepared by ATRP. The third example describes an inorganic-organic hybrid system consisting of hard nanocolloidal silica particles (20 nm) grafted by ATRP with well-defined polystyrene-poly(benzyl acrylate) block copolymer chains (1000 chains per particle). Silica cores in this system are surrounded by a rigid polystyrene inner shell and softer polyacrylate outer shell. Received 9 July 2002 Published online: 11 March 2003     

Silicon photonics: from a microresonator perspective

Silicon photonics leverages the optical, electrical and material properties of silicon and the mature complementary metal‐oxide semiconductor (CMOS) nanofabrication technique to develop on‐chip photonic integration, which has been making significant impacts in various frontiers including next‐generation optical communications networks, on‐chip optical interconnects for high‐speed energy‐efficient computing and biosensing. Among many optical structures fabricated on silicon chips, microresonators due to their high‐Q resonances and small footprints play important roles in various devices including lasers, filters, modulators, switches, routers, delays, detectors and sensors. This paper reviews from a microresonator perspective some of the latest progress in the field, summarizes design considerations in various applications and points out key challenges and potentials.     

Specific features of luminescence properties of nanostructured aluminum oxide

Aluminum oxide nanopowders are prepared by the gas phase method and characterized according to the particle sizes and the phase composition. Samples of the nanostructured ceramic material are produced by pressing and annealing in air. The photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence spectra of the Al₂O₃ nanostructured ceramic material and α-Al₂O₃ anion-defect single crystals are investigated under comparable conditions. The luminescence bands of centers formed by oxygen vacancies are revealed in the spectra of two types of samples. The nanostructured ceramic material is characterized by the appearance of a new luminescence band at 3.4 eV and a decrease in the luminescence decay time. The inference is made that the characteristic features of the luminescence of the nanostructured ceramic material can be associated with the presence of non-equilibrium phases and the specific features of relaxation processes.     

Photostimulated luminescence of corrugated fiberboard as an additional screening method for detecting radiated foods

In this study, PSL of non-irradiated and irradiated corrugated fiberboards (CFs) was investigated to evaluate the possibility that CFs can be used as alternative specimens for the screening detection method of food irradiation. The irradiation at a dose of only 0.15 kGy increased PSL signals of the CF over 1 order of magnitude. The PSL signals increased with increasing in gamma irradiation dose and became almost saturated at a dose of 5 kGy. The core of CFs showed PSL signals sufficient for distinguishing irradiated from non-irradiated at least 6 months after irradiation even though the CF was exposed to light and the environmental temperature increased to 50 °C. These results suggest that the PSL property of the core of CFs is useful for detecting irradiation. However, the large variation of PSL signals among CFs made it difficult to set a well-defined “positive” threshold limit to distinguish irradiated from non-irradiated completely. All of the non-irradiated CFs showed PSL signals above 10³ counts, which is much higher than that detected for foods. It is apparent that the threshold limit of EN 13751 is not applicable to detecting irradiated CFs. More detailed collaborative research with large number of samples is needed to establish new threshold limits involving “intermediate” classification.     

稀土掺杂材料的上转换发光

稀土掺杂材料的上转换发光是实现光波频率转换的重要途径,也是稀土掺杂发光材料研究的重要内容。本文从介绍与上转换相关的基本概念出发,阐述了稀土离子上转换发光的发展历史;对稀土离子掺杂材料的能量传递、激发态吸收、合作敏化、合作发光、双光子吸收激发及光子吸收雪崩等上转换发光机制进行了概述,并对各机制进行了比较;对不同稀土离子掺杂体系中上转换发光的机制进行了总结;对以往研究的稀土掺杂上转换发光材料的基质,包括粉体材料、晶体材料、非晶材料进行了概括;最后对影响稀土离子上转换发光效率的因素进行了分析,提出了在上转换发光材料的设计中应重点考虑基质对泵浦光及上转换发射光的吸收、基质材料的声子能量、稀土离子的掺杂方案及泵浦途径等因素。     

Pb-Pu superlattices: an example of nanostructured actinide materials

Density functional theory applied to Pb-Pu superlattices reveals two competing phases separated by a Mott transition between itinerant and localized 5f electrons. One phase, corresponding to Pu's bulk alpha phase, exhibits paired up Pu planes, thereby broadening the 5f bandwidth. Allowing spin polarization to emulate the energetics of electron correlation leads to another phase with larger volume, narrow 5f bandwidth, and more uniform local crystal structure, similar to bulk fcc Pu.     

High-frequency response of nanostructured magnetic materials

This paper reports a brief overview on recent developments regarding the high-frequency response in the GHz range of nanostructured magnetic materials. Emphasis is placed on the linear regime in the frequency domain characterized by the dynamic susceptibility spectrum. Some modeling tools and experimental probes allowing determination of the dynamic susceptibility spectrum are first rapidly reviewed and their respective advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Next, some illustrative examples of the high-frequency response of nanopatterned materials based on recent works are presented. The role played by the shape of the element on the characteristics of excitation spectrum is underlined. Lastly, some prospects are proposed and promising trends are highlighted.     

Spectroscopic behavior of ZnS nanostructured materials

Zinc sulphide (ZnS) nanostructures have been prepared by solvothermal method using ethylenediamine (EDA) as solvent and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as surfactant. The prepared nanostructures were characterized spectroscopically. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging was done to investigate changes in morphology of ZnS nanostructures prepared with different molar ratios. A distorted square pyramidal geometry with sulfur atoms around the zinc ions was revealed from X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrograph. Absorbance studies indicate significant blue shift. Enhanced luminescence depicted by photoluminescence (PL) studies predicts applications in optical devices.     

Schlieren photography to study sound interaction with highly absorbing materials

Strong absorption of sound is often caused by the conversion of sound energy into heat. When this happens, it is not possible to study the interaction of sound with the absorbing material by means of reflected sound characteristics, because there is no reflected sound. Detecting for example the distance that sound travels in a strongly absorbing material, can be done by heat detection systems. However, the presence of temperature detectors in such materials interferes with the sound field and is therefore not really suitable. Infrared measurements are a possible option. Another option is the use of Schlieren photography for simultaneous visualization of sound and heat. This technique is briefly outlined with a 3 MHz sound beam incident on a highly absorbing sponge.