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Laser phosphoroscope and applications to room-temperature phosphorescence
Sarah J Payne1, Guoqing Zhang, James N Demas
1Chemistry Department, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, USA.
Applied Spectroscopy
|November 8, 2011
Summary
A novel phosphoroscope without moving parts simplifies luminescence analysis. This device efficiently measures total luminescence, phosphorescence, and fluorescence in a single scan using diode laser excitation and waveform analysis.
Area of Science:
- Photonic instrumentation
- Spectroscopy
- Materials science
Background:
- Traditional phosphoroscopes often involve complex mechanical components.
- Accurate separation of fluorescence and phosphorescence signals can be challenging.
- Quantifying total luminescence alongside its components requires sophisticated techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a simple, solid-state phosphoroscope for luminescence analysis.
- To enable simultaneous measurement of total luminescence, phosphorescence, and fluorescence.
- To demonstrate the system's versatility across different emissive materials.
Main Methods:
- Development of a phosphoroscope utilizing a diode laser with a 50% duty cycle for sample excitation.
- Digitized waveform analysis to extract distinct luminescence components.
- Phosphorescence measured during laser off-periods, total emission over the full cycle, and fluorescence corrected for phosphorescence during on-periods.
Main Results:
- Successful characterization of total luminescence, long-lived phosphorescence, and short-lived fluorescence in a single scan.
- Demonstrated performance with room-temperature phosphorescence of organic dyes in boric acid glasses.
- Validated using a multi-emissive boron-polymer dye and a europium chelate complex.
Conclusions:
- The described phosphoroscope offers a simplified and efficient method for luminescence analysis.
- Its solid-state design eliminates the need for moving parts, enhancing robustness.
- The system provides a comprehensive luminescence profile, valuable for materials characterization.
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