Quadra-Mode Luminescent Phosphors for Force/Thermo-Encoded Information Storage and Anticounterfeiting Applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optics
• Solid-State Physics

Background:

• Multimode luminescent materials are vital for photocommunication and information security.
• Mechanoluminescence offers unique capabilities for anticounterfeiting and data storage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To integrate mechanoluminescence with photoluminescence, up-conversion luminescence, and thermoluminescence in LiNbO₃.
• To explore the potential of codoped LiNbO₃:Pr³⁺/Er³⁺ for information storage and anticounterfeiting applications.

Main Methods:

• Codoping LiNbO₃ with Er³⁺ and Pr³⁺ ions.
• Investigating excitation-dependent photoluminescence, up-conversion luminescence, thermoluminescence, and mechanoluminescence.
• Analyzing carrier dynamics and energy transfer mechanisms.

Main Results:

• LiNbO₃:Pr³⁺/Er³⁺ exhibits tunable emission colors (green to red) and green up-converted photoluminescence.
• Both thermoluminescence and mechanoluminescence yield red emissions via intertrap level carrier release.
• A competitive interaction between thermoluminescence and mechanoluminescence was observed.

Conclusions:

• The developed LiNbO₃:Pr³⁺/Er³⁺ material demonstrates potential as recordable information storage labels for monitoring perishable goods.
• The quadra-mode luminescence enables multidimensional coding for advanced anticounterfeiting technologies.