X-ray-charged bright persistent luminescence in NaYF4:Ln3+@NaYF4 nanoparticles for multidimensional optical information storage

NaYF4:Ln3+, due to its outstanding upconversion characteristics, has become one of the most important luminescent nanomaterials in biological imaging, optical information storage, and anticounterfeiting applications. However, the large specific surface area of NaYF4:Ln3+ nanoparticles generally leads to serious nonradiative transitions, which may greatly hinder the discovery of new optical functionality with promising applications. In this paper, we report that monodispersed nanoscale NaYF4:Ln3+, unexpectedly, can also be an excellent persistent luminescent (PersL) material. The NaYF4:Ln3+ nanoparticles with surface-passivated core–shell structures exhibit intense X-ray-charged PersL and narrow-band emissions tunable from 480 to 1060 nm. A mechanism for PersL in NaYF4:Ln3+ is proposed by means of thermoluminescence measurements and host-referred binding energy (HRBE) scheme, which suggests that some lanthanide ions (such as Tb) may also act as effective electron traps to achieve intense PersL. The uniform and spherical NaYF4:Ln3+ nanoparticles are dispersible in solvents, thus enabling many applications that are not accessible for traditional PersL phosphors. A new 3-dimensional (2 dimensions of planar space and 1 dimension of wavelength) optical information-storage application is demonstrated by inkjet-printing multicolor PersL nanoparticles. The multicolor persistent luminescence, as an emerging and promising emissive mode in NaYF4:Ln3+, will provide great opportunities for nanomaterials to be applied to a wider range of fields.

Особенности фотолюминесценции в кристаллах ниобата лития, легированных цинком в широком диапазоне концентраций

The concentration changes in the photoluminescence spectra of LiNbO3 : Zn crystals (0.004 ÷ 6.5 mol.% ZnO) were studied. It was found that with the increase of zinc concentration from 0.004 to 1.42 mol.% ZnO, the intensity decrease of luminescence bands caused by VLI, NbNb, and NbNb−NbLi defects was observed. As the crystal composition approached the second concentration threshold (≈ 7.0 mol.% ZnO), the luminescent halo shifted by ≈ 0.41 eV to the high-energy region of the spectrum and the intensity of the luminescence centers increased at 2.66 and 2.26 eV. It was caused by the appearance of ZnLi point defects. It was shown that in the LiNbO3 : Zn(4.69 mol.% ZnO) crystal obtained by homogeneous doping technology, there is a greater number of luminescence centers of different origin than in congruent and zinc-doped crystals obtained by direct melt doping technology. In the LiNbO3 : Zn crystal (4.52 mol.% ZnO), the luminescence of the main defects (VLi, NbNb, ZnLi) was quenched by increasing the fraction of nonradiative transitions relative to other LiNbO3 : Zn crystals in the concentration range [ZnO] = 4.46 ÷ 6.50 mol.%.

Разгорание и затухание импульсной катодолюминесценции в монокристаллах и керамиках Nd:ИАГ

The kinetics of pulsed cathodoluminescence of Nd3+ ions in Nd:YAG single crystals and ceramic samples was studied. In these substances, luminescence appears after the ending of exposure by an electron beam with a duration of 2 ns. Optical transitions are observed from the 2F2 5/2 level and manifest themselves in the ultraviolet and visible regions of the spectrum, and from the 4F 3/2 level – in the near infrared region. The kinetics of luminescence is characterized by a rise and a decay and is described by the difference between two exponential functions. It has been determined that the characteristic decay times of luminescence are the lifetimes of the 2F2 5/2 and 4F 3/2 radiative levels, and the time of a rise is determined by the pumping mechanism. Moreover, the pumping of the uppermost Stark component of the 2F2 5/2 level occurs in the process of linear recombination of the ionized neodymium ion with free electrons, and the 4F 3/2 level is due to nonradiative transitions from the upper levels.

Thermal-responsive multicolor emission of single NaGdF4:Yb/Ce/Ho upconversion nanocrystals for anticounterfeiting application

This study presents a novel and high-level anticounterfeiting strategy based on Ce/Yb/Ho triply-doped NaGdF4 nanocrystals with temperature-responsive multicolor emission. A critical factor leading to the multicolor emission is confirmed by comparing the luminescence thermal behaviors of nanocrystals in various atmospheres. Through analyzing the temperature-dependent lifetimes of Yb3+ ions in air, we demonstrate that thermally-induced multicolor emission mainly originates from the gradually-attenuated H2O quenching effect. Because the cross-relaxations between Ce3+ and Ho3+ ions and the nonradiative transitions of Yb3+ ions create plenty of phonon heat, the multicolor emission of nanocrystals can be achieved under 975 nm excitation at a relatively low power density. This recognition method is efficient and convenient for security authentication. The as-synthesized core nanocrystals can be directly used to fabricate anticounterfeiting ink without further processing (e.g. core/shell or hybrid). Therefore, the small-sized β-NaGdF4:Yb/Ce/Ho nanocrystals are promising candidate for security application.