Valence and environment of rare earth ions in CaAl2O4:Eu,R persistent luminescence materials

The existence of the different R²⁺/R³⁺/R^IV (R: rare earth) ions as well as the modifications in the structural environment around the dopant and co-dopants in CaAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺,R³⁺ persistent luminescence materials was studied by L_III edge X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) measurements at Hamburger Synchrotronstrahlungslabor (HASYLAB) at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) (Hamburg, Germany). The measurements were carried out at 10 and 296 K for selected rare earth (co-)dopants (Eu²⁺; Ce³⁺, Nd³⁺, Sm³⁺, and Yb³⁺).     

Optical energy storage properties of Sr<Subscript>2</Subscript>MgSi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript>:Eu<Superscript>2+</Superscript>,R<Superscript>3+</Superscript> persistent luminescence materials

The details of the mechanism of persistent luminescence were probed by investigating the trap level structure of Sr₂MgSi₂O₇:Eu²⁺,R³⁺ materials (R: Y, La-Lu, excluding Pm and Eu) with thermoluminescence (TL) measurements and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The TL results indicated that the shallowest traps for each Sr₂MgSi₂O₇:Eu²⁺,R³⁺ material above room temperature were always ca. 0.7 eV corresponding to a strong TL maximum at ca. 90 °C. This main trap energy was only slightly modified by the different co-dopants, which, in contrast, had a significant effect on the depths of the deeper traps. The combined results of the trap level energies obtained from the experimental data and DFT calculations suggest that the main trap responsible for the persistent luminescence of the Sr₂MgSi₂O₇:Eu²⁺,R³⁺ materials is created by charge compensation lattice defects, identified tentatively as oxygen vacancies, induced by the R³⁺ co-dopants.     

Electronic structure of the Sr2MgSi2O7:Eu persistent luminescence material

The electronic structures of the distrontium magnesium disilicate (Sr₂MgSi₂O₇(:Eu²⁺)) materials were studied by a combined experimental and theoretical approach. The UV-VUV synchrotron radiation was applied in the experimental study while the electronic structures were investigated theoretically by using the density functional theory. The structure of the valence and conduction bands and the band gap energy of the material as well as the position of the Eu²⁺ 4f ground state were calculated. The calculated band gap energy (6.7 eV) agrees well with the experimental value of 7.1 eV. The valence band consists mainly of the oxygen states and the bottom of the conduction band of the Sr states. The calculated occupied 4f ground state of Eu²⁺ lies in the energy gap of the host though the position depends strongly on the Coulomb repulsion strength. The position of the 4f ground state with respect to the valence and conduction bands is discussed using the theoretical and experimental evidence available.     

Bounds for ratios of eigenvalues using traces

Let A be an n × n matrix with real eigenvalues λ₁ ? … ? λ_n, and let 1 ? k < l ? n. Bounds involving trA and trA² are introduced for λ_k/λ_l, (λ_k ? λ_l)/(λ_k + λ_l), and {kλ_k + (n ? l + 1)λ_l}²/{kλ²_k + (n ? l + 1)λ²_l}. Also included are conditions for λ_l >; 0 and for λ_k + λ_l > 0.     

Preparation of copper–silicon dioxide nanoparticles with chemical vapor synthesis

Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor synthesis was used to produce copper nanoparticle composites in an amorphous silicon dioxide, i.e., either copper nanoparticles coated with amorphous silicon dioxide or copper nanoparticles embedded in amorphous silicon dioxide matrix. Synthesized metal–organic copper(I) complex was used as a precursor that provided well-defined ratio (1:2) of copper and silicon. The thermal decomposition of the Cu(I) complex molecule leads to homogenous nucleation and formation of copper nanoparticles which are subsequently coated with Si/SiO₂ in the gas phase. The decomposition was greatly enhanced when reductive atmosphere, i.e., H₂/N₂ 10 v% were used instead of pure nitrogen. A narrow size distribution with the geometric mean diameter of the particle agglomerates around 30 nm was observed while the primary size of the copper core particles was around 5 nm.