A Prototype of a Volumetric Three‐Dimensional Display Based on Programmable Photo‐Activated Phosphorescence

A proof‐of‐principle prototype of a volumetric 3D‐displaying system is demonstrated by utilizing the photo‐activated phosphorescence of two long‐lived phosphorescent metal‐porphyrins in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a photochemically deoxygenating solvent. The first phosphorescent sensitizer, Pt(TPBP), absorbs a light beam with a wavelength of 635 nm, and the sensitized singlet oxygen is scavenged by DMSO. The second phosphorescent emitter, Pt(OEP), absorbs a light beam with a wavelength of 532 nm and visibly phosphoresces only in the deoxygenated zone generated by the first sensitizer. The phosphorescent voxels, 3D images, and animations are well‐defined by the intersections of the 635‐nm and 532‐nm light beams that are programmable by tuning of the excitation‐power densities, the beam shapes, and the kinetics. As a pivotal selection rule for the phosphorescent molecular couple used in this 3D‐displaying system, their absorptions and emissions must be orthogonal to each other, so that they can be excited and addressed independently.     

A Prototype of a Volumetric Three-Dimensional Display Based on Programmable Photo-Activated Phosphorescence

A proof-of-principle prototype of a volumetric 3D-displaying system is demonstrated by utilizing the photo-activated phosphorescence of two long-lived phosphorescent metal-porphyrins in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a photochemically deoxygenating solvent. The first phosphorescent sensitizer, Pt(TPBP), absorbs a light beam with a wavelength of 635 nm, and the sensitized singlet oxygen is scavenged by DMSO. The second phosphorescent emitter, Pt(OEP), absorbs a light beam with a wavelength of 532 nm and visibly phosphoresces only in the deoxygenated zone generated by the first sensitizer. The phosphorescent voxels, 3D images, and animations are well-defined by the intersections of the 635-nm and 532-nm light beams that are programmable by tuning of the excitation-power densities, the beam shapes, and the kinetics. As a pivotal selection rule for the phosphorescent molecular couple used in this 3D-displaying system, their absorptions and emissions must be orthogonal to each other, so that they can be excited and addressed independently.