The mid-infrared (MIR) luminescent properties of Dy3+ ions in a new chalcohalide glass host, Ga2S3-Sb2S3-CsI, are investigated; and the suitability of the doped glass for MIR fiber lasers is evaluated. The Dy3+-do...The mid-infrared (MIR) luminescent properties of Dy3+ ions in a new chalcohalide glass host, Ga2S3-Sb2S3-CsI, are investigated; and the suitability of the doped glass for MIR fiber lasers is evaluated. The Dy3+-doped chalcohalide glasses exhibit good thermal stability and intense MIR emissions around 2.96 μm and 4.41 μm. These emissions show quantum efficiencies (η) as high as ~ 60%, and have relatively large stimulated emission cross sections (σem). The low phonon energy (~ 307 cm-1) of the host glass accounts for the intense MIR emissions, as well as the high η. These favorable thermal and emission properties make the Dy3+-doped Ga2S3-Sb2S3-CsI glasses promising materials for MIR fiber amplifiers or lasers.展开更多
Herein,melt-quenching and Er^(3+) doping were used to synthesize fluoride glass specimens with low phonon energies(582 cm^(-1)).These glass specimens exhibit intense 3.1 μm mid-infrared band emission when they are ex...Herein,melt-quenching and Er^(3+) doping were used to synthesize fluoride glass specimens with low phonon energies(582 cm^(-1)).These glass specimens exhibit intense 3.1 μm mid-infrared band emission when they are excited by a 980 nm laser diode,achieving a full width at half maximum(FWHM) of about166 nm.This 3.1 μm emission intensity is enhanced by the introduction of ZnF_(2) to the AlF_(3)-based fluoride glass.Up-conversion emission,strong near-infrared emission,and fluorescence lifetime are enhanced to different degrees by increasing the ZnF_(2) content.Moreover,the spectroscopic characteristics of the glass specimens and the highly efficient Er^(3+):~4S_(3/2)→~4F_(9/2) transition's energy transfer mechanism were investigated.The absorption spectra and emission spectra of these aluminum fluoride glass specimens were used to calculate their gain coefficients and maximum cross sections at 1.5 and 3.1 μm.Overall,the spectral properties of these prepared aluminum fluoride glass specimens demonstrate their high potential for use as infrared laser host materials.展开更多
Mid-infrared(MIR) emissions of 2.4 and 3.5 μm from Tm3+:LiYF4 single crystals attributed to3H4 →3H5 and3H5 →3F4 transitions as well as MIR emissions of 4.2,4.3,and 4.5 μm from Nd3+:LiYF4 lasers attributed to...Mid-infrared(MIR) emissions of 2.4 and 3.5 μm from Tm3+:LiYF4 single crystals attributed to3H4 →3H5 and3H5 →3F4 transitions as well as MIR emissions of 4.2,4.3,and 4.5 μm from Nd3+:LiYF4 lasers attributed to4I15/2 →4I13/2,4I13/2 →4I11/2,and4I11/2 →4I9/2 transitions,respectively,are observed.LiYF4 single crystals possess high transmittance of over 85% in the 2.5-6 μm range.The large emission crosssections of Tm-doped crystals at 2.4 μm(1.9×10-20cm2) and Nd-doped crystals at 4.2 μm(0.84×10-20 cm2) as well as the high rare-earth doping concentrations,excellent optical transmission,and chemicalphysical properties of the resultant samples indicate that Nd3+and Tm3+singly doped crystals may be promising materials for application in MIR lasers.展开更多
Nd^(3+)/Yb^(3+)co-doped fluorobromide glass samples were prepared by melt quenching.The mid-infrared(MIR)luminescence of the Nd^(3+)/Yb^(3+)co-doped fluorobromide glass was investigated by Br-doping reduces the phonon...Nd^(3+)/Yb^(3+)co-doped fluorobromide glass samples were prepared by melt quenching.The mid-infrared(MIR)luminescence of the Nd^(3+)/Yb^(3+)co-doped fluorobromide glass was investigated by Br-doping reduces the phonon state density of the matrix.The 3.9μm MIR luminescence of the samples excited at 793 and 980 nm pump excitation was investigated in detail.There is an effective mutual energy transfer process between Nd^(3+)and Yb^(3+).It is proved under 793 nm excitation that the luminescence of Nd^(3+)at 3.9μm is reduced by effective energy transfer from,Nd^(3+):2 H11/2→Yb^(3+):2 F5/2,At the same time,it is proved that the effective energy transfer from Yb^(3+):2 F5/2→Nd^(3+):2 H11/2 under the excitation of 980 nm enhances the luminescence of Nd^(3+)at 3.9μm.In addition,it is found that the samples still have good infrared(IR)luminescent properties when the temperature changes.The emission cross-sectional area and the absorption cross-sectional area areσem(3.87×10^(-20)cm^(2))andσabs(4.25×10^(-20)cm^(2)).The fluorescence decay characteristics of the sample at 3.9μm at the 2 H11/2 level were investigated and the fluorescence lifetime was calculated.The gain performance of the sample was calculated and analyzed,which can reach 4.25×10^(-20)cm^(2).Those results prove that Nd^(3+)/Yb^(3+)co-doped fluorobromide glass is the potential mid-infrared laser gain material.展开更多
Driven by the growing demand for next-generation displays,the development of advanced luminescent materials with exceptional photoelectric properties is rapidly accelerating,with such materials including quantum dots ...Driven by the growing demand for next-generation displays,the development of advanced luminescent materials with exceptional photoelectric properties is rapidly accelerating,with such materials including quantum dots and phosphors,etc.Nevertheless,the primary challenge preventing the practical application of these luminescent materials lies in meeting the required durability standards.Atomic layer deposition(ALD)has,therefore,been employed to stabilize luminescent materials,and as a result,flexible display devices have been fabricated through material modification,surface and interface engineering,encapsulation,cross-scale manufacturing,and simulations.In addition,the appropriate equipment has been developed for both spatial ALD and fluidized ALD to satisfy the low-cost,high-efficiency,and high-reliability manufacturing requirements.This strategic approach establishes the groundwork for the development of ultra-stable luminescent materials,highly efficient light-emitting diodes(LEDs),and thin-film packaging.Ultimately,this significantly enhances their potential applicability in LED illumination and backlighted displays,marking a notable advancement in the display industry.展开更多
Ion beam-induced luminescence(IBIL) experiments were performed to investigate the in situ luminescence of GaN/Al_(2)O_(3) at varying ion energies,which allowed for the measurement of defects at different depths within...Ion beam-induced luminescence(IBIL) experiments were performed to investigate the in situ luminescence of GaN/Al_(2)O_(3) at varying ion energies,which allowed for the measurement of defects at different depths within the material.The energies of H^(+)were set to 500 keV,640 keV and 2 MeV,the Bragg peaks of which correspond to the GaN film,GaN/Al_(2)O_(3) heterojunction and Al_(2)O_(3) substrate,respectively.A photoluminescence measurement at 250 K was also performed for comparison,during which only near band edge(NBE) and yellow band luminescence in the GaN film were observed.The evolution of the luminescence of the NBE and yellow band in the GaN film was discussed,and both exhibited a decrease with the fluence of H^(+).Additionally,the luminescence of F centers,induced by oxygen vacancies,and Cr^(3+),resulting from the ^(2)E →^(4)A_(2) radiative transition in Al_(2)O_(3),were measured using 2 MeV H^(+).The luminescence intensity of F centers increases gradually with the fluence of H^(+).The luminescence evolution of Cr^(3+)is consistent with a yellow band center,attributed to its weak intensity,and it is situated within the emission band of the yellow band in the GaN film.Our results show that IBIL measurement can effectively detect the luminescence behavior of multilayer films by adjusting the ion energy.Luminescence measurement can be excited by various techniques,but IBIL can satisfy in situ luminescence measurement,and multilayer structural materials of tens of micrometers can be measured through IBIL by adjusting the energy of the inducing ions.The evolution of defects at different layers with ion fluence can be obtained.展开更多
Ho^(3+)doped ZBLAN glass with 2.0 and 2.9μm emission was prepared.In order to further improve the luminescence of Ho^(3+),halogen ions(Cl,Br,1)were introduced to reduce the maximum phonon energy and phonon state dens...Ho^(3+)doped ZBLAN glass with 2.0 and 2.9μm emission was prepared.In order to further improve the luminescence of Ho^(3+),halogen ions(Cl,Br,1)were introduced to reduce the maximum phonon energy and phonon state density of the sample.At the same time,Nd^(3+)was introduced to transfer the energy to Ho^(3+)pumped with a 793 nm laser(Nd^(3+):4 F5/2,4 F3/2→Ho^(3+):5 I6).The effect of different halogen ion on the luminescent properties of the fluoride halide glass was compared.The results show that the luminescent intensity of infrared increases with the introduction of different halogen ions.By comparison,it is found that the sample with I-has the strongest luminescence of 1064 nm,2.0μm and 2.9μm.This is consistent with the calculated J-O intensity parameters.In addition,the 2.0 and 2.9μm emission of Ho^(3+)pumped with a 450 nm laser will not disappear.A mid-infrared sample with multi-wavelength excitation and multi-wavelength emission can be obtained.Nd^(3+)/Ho^(3+)co-doped fluoride halide glasses with 1064 nm,2.0μm and 2.9μm luminescence were prepared by melt quenching method.The luminescent mechanism and the energy transfer process between the two ions of Nd^(3+)/Ho^(3+)co-doped fluoride halide glass were studied.The J-O parameters,luminescence lifetime and absorption emission cross-sectional area of Ho^(3+)and Nd^(3+)were calculated,respectively.It is found that the value ofΩ2 in the glass matrix increases with the introduction of different halogen ions,whileΩ4 andΩ6 do not change obviously in different glass compositions.This is because the environment of the crystal field around the rare earth ions changes.The crystal phase and phonon energy of the sample were analyzed by X-ray diffraction pattern and a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer,respectively.Based on the above spectra and data(phonon energy is 634.71 cm-1),it can be predicted that Nd^(3+)/Ho^(3+)co-doped fluoride halide glass is a potential mid-infrared luminescent material.展开更多
A 1.7-at.%Er:CaF_(2)crystal was synthesized by temperature gradient method.The Er:CaF_(2)crystal was applied in acousto-optically Q-switched laser at mid-infrared region for the first time.Using a Te O_(2)-based cryst...A 1.7-at.%Er:CaF_(2)crystal was synthesized by temperature gradient method.The Er:CaF_(2)crystal was applied in acousto-optically Q-switched laser at mid-infrared region for the first time.Using a Te O_(2)-based crystal as Q-switcher,we obtained a laser diode(LD)end-pumped Er:CaF_(2)laser with the highest single pulse energy up to 0.49 mJ and maximum peak power of 0.56 kW under 6.34-W absorbed pump power.The implication of these results is that the low-doped Er:CaF_(2)crystal exhibits promising optical properties in solid-state lasers.展开更多
Cerenkov Luminescence Tomography(CLT)is a novel and potential imaging modality which can display the three-dimensional distribution of radioactive probes.However,due to severe ill-posed inverse problem,obtaining accur...Cerenkov Luminescence Tomography(CLT)is a novel and potential imaging modality which can display the three-dimensional distribution of radioactive probes.However,due to severe ill-posed inverse problem,obtaining accurate reconstruction results is still a challenge for traditional model-based methods.The recently emerged deep learning-based methods can directly learn the mapping relation between the surface photon intensity and the distribution of the radioactive source,which effectively improves the performance of CLT reconstruction.However,the previously proposed deep learning-based methods cannot work well when the order of input is disarranged.In this paper,a novel 3D graph convolution-based residual network,GCR-Net,is proposed,which can obtain a robust and accurate reconstruction result from the photon intensity of the surface.Additionally,it is proved that the network is insensitive to the order of input.The performance of this method was evaluated with numerical simulations and in vivo experiments.The results demonstrated that compared with the existing methods,the proposed method can achieve efficient and accurate reconstruction in localization and shape recovery by utilizing threedimensional information.展开更多
Hydrophilic rare-earth up-conversion nanophosphors(UCNPs)with small sizes and a strong up-conversion luminescence have attracted much interest.Herein the simultaneous control of morphologies and the up-conversion lumi...Hydrophilic rare-earth up-conversion nanophosphors(UCNPs)with small sizes and a strong up-conversion luminescence have attracted much interest.Herein the simultaneous control of morphologies and the up-conversion luminescence intensities was reported for NaYF_(4)∶Yb/Er nanophosphors by a facile hydrothermal procedure with different surfactants.With the change of the surfactants from polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP)to sodium citrate(CIT),edetate disodium(EDTA)or sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate(SDBS),the morphology of NaYF_(4)∶Yb/Er nanophosphors transformed from nanoparticles with a diameter of about 70.0 nm to hexagonal nanoblocks with a thickness of about 125.0 nm and a length of about 240.0 nm,nanorods with a diameter of about 700.0 nm and a length of about 2.6μm,or nanowires with a diameter of 250.0 nm and a length of about 3.2μm.Simultaneously,their up-conversion luminescence intensity went down gradually under laser irradiation at a wavelength of 980 nm due to the increase of photobleaching.PVP-capped NaYF_(4)∶Yb/Er nanoparticles exhibited the smallest size and the strongest up-conversion luminescence intensity.Biological experiment results revealed that NaYF_(4)∶Yb/Er nanophosphors exhibited a high biocompatibility and could be used as biological labels with a perfect signal-to-noise ratio for cancer cell imaging.展开更多
With the development of mid-infrared (MIR) photoelectric devices, mid-infrared spectroscopy has become one of the important methods for non-invasive detection of blood glucose. The mid-infrared region (4000 - 400 cm&l...With the development of mid-infrared (MIR) photoelectric devices, mid-infrared spectroscopy has become one of the important methods for non-invasive detection of blood glucose. The mid-infrared region (4000 - 400 cm<sup>-1</sup>) has the well-known fingerprint region (1200 - 800 cm<sup>-1</sup>) of glucose, which has clearer characteristic absorption peaks and better specificity. There is a lot of molecular information about glucose in the MIR. The non-invasive detection of blood glucose by mid-infrared spectroscopy needs to achieve certain accuracy, and the quantitative model is an important factor affecting the accuracy of glucose detection. In this paper, the samples of imitation solution containing only glucose and the samples of imitation mixed solution are taken as the research objects, and the mid-infrared spectral data of the samples are collected. The full spectrum partial least squares Regression (PLSR) model, SNV + Ctr-PLSR model, MSC + Ctr-PLSR model, and convolutional neural networks (CNN) model of 3000 - 900 cm<sup>-1</sup> band were constructed. Full spectrum PLS model and CNN model of 1200 - 900 cm<sup>-1</sup> band were constructed. The experimental results show that the optimal model of the two bands is CNN, then the correlation coefficient of prediction set (Rp) of 3000 - 900 cm<sup>-1</sup> band is 0.95, and the root mean square error of pre-diction set (RMSEP) value is 22.10. The Rp of 1200 - 900 cm<sup>-1</sup> band is 0.95, and the RMSEP value is 22.54. The research results show that CNN is a promising method, which has higher accuracy than PLSR, and is especially suitable for modeling human complex environment. In addition, the study provides a theoretical and practical basis for CNN in feature selection and model interpretation.展开更多
Arson presents a challenging crime scene for fire investigators worldwide. Key to the investigation of suspected arson cases is the analysis of fire debris for the presence of accelerants or ignitable liquids. This st...Arson presents a challenging crime scene for fire investigators worldwide. Key to the investigation of suspected arson cases is the analysis of fire debris for the presence of accelerants or ignitable liquids. This study has investigated the application and method development of vapor phase mid-Infrared (mid-IR) spectroscopy using a field portable quantum cascade laser (QCL) based system for the detection and identification of accelerant residues such as gasoline, diesel, and ethanol in fire debris. A searchable spectral library of various ignitable fluids and fuel components measured in the vapor phase was constructed that allowed for real-time identification of accelerants present in samples using software developed in-house. Measurement of vapors collected from paper material that had been doused with an accelerant followed by controlled burning and then extinguished with water showed that positive identification could be achieved for gasoline, diesel, and ethanol. This vapor phase mid-IR QCL method is rapid, easy to use, and has the sensitivity and discrimination capability that make it well suited for non-destructive crime scene sample analysis. Sampling and measurement can be performed in minutes with this 7.5 kg instrument. This vibrational spectroscopic method required no time-consuming sample pretreatment or complicated solvent extraction procedure. The results of this initial feasibility study demonstrate that this portable fire debris analyzer would greatly benefit arson investigators performing analysis on-site.展开更多
Recently, lanthanide-ion-doped luminescent materials have been extensively used as optical thermometry probes due to their fast responses, non-contact, and high sensitivity properties. Based on different responses of ...Recently, lanthanide-ion-doped luminescent materials have been extensively used as optical thermometry probes due to their fast responses, non-contact, and high sensitivity properties. Based on different responses of two emissions to temperature, the fluorescence intensity ratio(FIR) technique can be used to estimate the sensitivities for assessing the optical thermometry performances. In this study, we introduce different doping concentrations of Eu^(3+) ions into negative thermal expansion material Sc2W3O12to increase the thermal-enhanced luminescence from 373 K to 548 K, and investigate the temperature sensing properties in detail. All samples can exhibit their good luminescence behaviors thermally enhanced.The emission intensity of Sc2W3O12:6-mol% Eu3+phosphor reaches 147.8% of initial intensity at 473 K. As the Eu3+doping concentration increases, the resistance of the sample to thermal quenching decreases. The FIR technique based on each of the transitions 5D→7F_(1)(592 nm) and 5D→7F_(2)(613 nm) of Eu3+ions demonstrates a maximum relative temperature sensitivity of 3.063% K-1at 298 K for Sc_(2)W_(3)O_(12):6-mol% Eu3+phosphor. The sensitivity of sample decreases with the increase of Eu3+concentration. Benefiting from the thermal-enhanced luminescence performance and good temperature sensing properties, the Sc_(2)W_(3)O_(12):Eu^(3+)phosphors can be used as optical thermometers.展开更多
The photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectra of undoped ZnO films deposited directly on Si substrate (sample A),on Si substrate through a SiC buffer layer (sample B),and on a ZnO crystal wafer (sample C) are i...The photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectra of undoped ZnO films deposited directly on Si substrate (sample A),on Si substrate through a SiC buffer layer (sample B),and on a ZnO crystal wafer (sample C) are investigated. There are emission peaks centered at 3.18eV (ultraviolet,UV) and 2.38eV (green) in these sampies. Comparing the Raman spectra and the variation of the PL peak intensities with annealing atmosphere, we conclude that the luminescence of the samples is related to the tensile strain in the ZnO film due to the lattice mismatch between the film and the substrate. In particular, the tensile strain reduces the formation energy of OZn antisite oxygen defects,which generate the green emission center. After annealing in oxygen-rich atmosphere, many OZn defects are generated. Thus, the intensity of green emission in ZnO/Si hetero-structure materials increases due to tensile strain in ZnO films.展开更多
Lutetium oxide nanocrystals codoped with Tm3+ and Yb3+ were synthesized by the reverse-like co-precipitation method, using ammonium hydrogen carbonate as precipitant. Effects of the Tm3+, Yb3+ molar fractions and ...Lutetium oxide nanocrystals codoped with Tm3+ and Yb3+ were synthesized by the reverse-like co-precipitation method, using ammonium hydrogen carbonate as precipitant. Effects of the Tm3+, Yb3+ molar fractions and calcination temperature on the structural and upconversion luminescent properties of the Lu2O3 nanocrystals were investigated. The XRD results show that all the prepared nanocrystals can be readily indexed to pure cubic phase of Lu2O3 and indicate good crystallinity. The experimental results show that concentration quenching occurs when the mole fraction of Tm3+ is above 0.2%. The optimal Tm3+ and Yb3+ doped molar fractions are 0.2% and 2%, respectively. The strong blue (490 nm) and the weak red (653 nm) emissions from the prepared nanocrystals were observed under 980 nm laser excitation, and attributed to the 1G4→3H6 and IG4→3F4 transitions of Tm3+, respectively. Power-dependent study reveals that the 1G4 levels of Tm3+ can be populated by three-step energy transfer process. The upconversion emission intensities of 490 nm and 653 nm increase gradually with the increase of calcination temperature. The enhancement of the upconversion luminescence is suggested to be the consequence of reducing number of OH- groups and the enlarged nanoerystal size.展开更多
[Objective] The research aimed to study the effects of magnetic stress on the delayed luminescence of mung bean leaves.[Method]With mung bean leaves as the experimental materials,the delayed luminescence curve of mung...[Objective] The research aimed to study the effects of magnetic stress on the delayed luminescence of mung bean leaves.[Method]With mung bean leaves as the experimental materials,the delayed luminescence curve of mung bean leaves under the same magnetic field intensity at different processing time was measured by using BPCL-type weak luminescence measuring instrument.[Result] The absorption of the magnetic field stimulation within the leaves had its own rules.A certain magnetic field intensity and a certain...展开更多
The peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence(CL)detection of fatty acids in human se- rum combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)is described.Some fatty acids in serum were extracted with a 1 :1(v/v)mixture...The peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence(CL)detection of fatty acids in human se- rum combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)is described.Some fatty acids in serum were extracted with a 1 :1(v/v)mixture of chloroform-n-heptane.2-(4-Hydrazinocarbonyl- phenyl)-4,5-diphenylimidazole (HCPI) was used as a fluorescent labelling reagent of the fatty acids. The labelling reaction was carried out at 30℃ for 1 h at pH 6.5 and the resulting reaction mixture was sudjected to HPLC. The labelled fatty acid C_(17)(P-C_(17))was used as the internal standard. The la- belled fatty acids C_(16) and C_(18) were separated within 18 min on an ODS-8OTM column (150 mm× 6 mm ID,5μm,Tosoh Japan).The calibrlation curves of fatty acids from the spiked control serum were Y_1=-0.003 7 + 0.0028X_1,r=0.994 for FA C_( 16) and Y_2=0.00 1 2 + 0.00098X_2,r=0.999 for FA C_( 18),respectively.The average recoveries of facids from the spiked contrl serum were 107.2%(n=8,RSD=4.3%)for FA C_(16) and 97.35%(n=8, RSD=4.0%)for FA C_(18),respectively.The lower detection limits of fatty acids after reaction were 12μmol per 20μl injection for FA C_(16) and 18 μmol per 20μl injection for FA C_(18),respectively(signal to noise ratio, S/N=2).The HPLC/CL method was applied to the determination of FA C_(16) and FA C_(18) in normal human serum and the results showed that the concentrations of fatty acids in normal human serum were 0.134 ± 0.009 μ mol/ml serum(n=5) for FA C_(16) and 0.052±0.028 μmol/ml serum(n=5)for FA C_(18),respectively.展开更多
This paper analyzed 11 lubricating oil 50-1-4Ф samples of different base oil content (standard oil) and 28 used oil samples by Fourier transform mid-infrared spectrometer (FTIR). First, the absorption peak of 1 4...This paper analyzed 11 lubricating oil 50-1-4Ф samples of different base oil content (standard oil) and 28 used oil samples by Fourier transform mid-infrared spectrometer (FTIR). First, the absorption peak of 1 465 cm 1 was selected as the characteristic peak for determining their kinematic viscosities. And then correlation of the kinematic viscosity and the absorbance at characteristic peaks of corresponding infrared spectrum of standard oil and used oil samples was analyzed, re- spectively, and two regression equations were proposed. Finally, the regression equation of standard oil was corrected through other 20 new oil samples. The results show that determining kinematic viscosity of new lubricating oil 50-1-4Ф and the used one by FTIR is feasible and reliable.展开更多
A series of aviation lubrication oil 50-1-4φ samples were prepared with different RP-3 content, and then these sam- ples were analyzed by Fourier transform mid-infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The infrared region of ...A series of aviation lubrication oil 50-1-4φ samples were prepared with different RP-3 content, and then these sam- ples were analyzed by Fourier transform mid-infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The infrared region of 805--755 cm-1 was selected as quantitative area for determining fuel pollution level of aviation lubrication oil. Finally, correlation of the testing peak area and the fuel pollution level of corresponding samples were analyzed, and the regression equation was proposed. The results show that determining jet fuel pollution level of aviation lubricating oil by FTIR is feasible and reliable.展开更多
Trivalent lanthanide ions display fascinating optical properties. The discovery of the corresponding elements and their first industrial uses were intimately linked to their optical properties. This relationship has b...Trivalent lanthanide ions display fascinating optical properties. The discovery of the corresponding elements and their first industrial uses were intimately linked to their optical properties. This relationship has been kept alive until today when many high-technology applications of lanthanide-containing materials such as energy-saving lighting devices, displays, optical fibers and amplifiers, lasers, responsive luminescent stains for biomedical analyses and in cellulo sensing and imaging, heavily rely on the brilliant and pure-color emission of lanthanide ions. In this review we first outlined the basics of lanthanide luminescence with emphasis on f-f transitions, the sensitization mechanisms, and the assessment of the luminescence efficiency of lanthanide-containing emissive molecular edifices. Emphasis was then put on two fast developing aspects of lanthanide luminescence: materials for telecommunications and light emitting diodes, and biomedical imaging and sensing. Recent advances in NIR-emitting materials for plastic amplifiers and waveguides were described, together with the main solutions brought by researchers to minimize non-radiative deactivation of excited states. The demonstration in 1999 that erbium tris(8-hydroxyquinolinate) displayed a bright green emission suitable for organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) was followed by realizing that in OLEDs, 25% of the excitation energy leads to singlet states and 75% to triplet states. Since lanthanide ions are good triplet quenchers, they now also play a key role in the development of these lighting devices. Luminescence analyses of biological molecules are among the most sensitive analytical techniques known. The long lifetime of the lanthanide excited states allows time-resolved spectroscopy to be used, suppressing the sample autofluorescence and reaching very low detection limits. Not only visible lanthanide sensors are now ubiquitously provided in medical diagnosis and in cell imaging, but the feasibility of using NIR emission of ions such as YbⅢ is now being tested because of deeper penetration in biological tissues.展开更多
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.61405080 and 61575086)Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Centre of Advanced Laser Technology and Emerging Industry,Chinathe Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions,China
文摘The mid-infrared (MIR) luminescent properties of Dy3+ ions in a new chalcohalide glass host, Ga2S3-Sb2S3-CsI, are investigated; and the suitability of the doped glass for MIR fiber lasers is evaluated. The Dy3+-doped chalcohalide glasses exhibit good thermal stability and intense MIR emissions around 2.96 μm and 4.41 μm. These emissions show quantum efficiencies (η) as high as ~ 60%, and have relatively large stimulated emission cross sections (σem). The low phonon energy (~ 307 cm-1) of the host glass accounts for the intense MIR emissions, as well as the high η. These favorable thermal and emission properties make the Dy3+-doped Ga2S3-Sb2S3-CsI glasses promising materials for MIR fiber amplifiers or lasers.
基金Project supported by Shanghai Sailing Program from Science and Technology Committee of Shanghai (21YF1416200)。
文摘Herein,melt-quenching and Er^(3+) doping were used to synthesize fluoride glass specimens with low phonon energies(582 cm^(-1)).These glass specimens exhibit intense 3.1 μm mid-infrared band emission when they are excited by a 980 nm laser diode,achieving a full width at half maximum(FWHM) of about166 nm.This 3.1 μm emission intensity is enhanced by the introduction of ZnF_(2) to the AlF_(3)-based fluoride glass.Up-conversion emission,strong near-infrared emission,and fluorescence lifetime are enhanced to different degrees by increasing the ZnF_(2) content.Moreover,the spectroscopic characteristics of the glass specimens and the highly efficient Er^(3+):~4S_(3/2)→~4F_(9/2) transition's energy transfer mechanism were investigated.The absorption spectra and emission spectra of these aluminum fluoride glass specimens were used to calculate their gain coefficients and maximum cross sections at 1.5 and 3.1 μm.Overall,the spectral properties of these prepared aluminum fluoride glass specimens demonstrate their high potential for use as infrared laser host materials.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51272109 and 50972061)the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province(No.R4100364)+1 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo City(No.2012A610115)the K.C.Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University
文摘Mid-infrared(MIR) emissions of 2.4 and 3.5 μm from Tm3+:LiYF4 single crystals attributed to3H4 →3H5 and3H5 →3F4 transitions as well as MIR emissions of 4.2,4.3,and 4.5 μm from Nd3+:LiYF4 lasers attributed to4I15/2 →4I13/2,4I13/2 →4I11/2,and4I11/2 →4I9/2 transitions,respectively,are observed.LiYF4 single crystals possess high transmittance of over 85% in the 2.5-6 μm range.The large emission crosssections of Tm-doped crystals at 2.4 μm(1.9×10-20cm2) and Nd-doped crystals at 4.2 μm(0.84×10-20 cm2) as well as the high rare-earth doping concentrations,excellent optical transmission,and chemicalphysical properties of the resultant samples indicate that Nd3+and Tm3+singly doped crystals may be promising materials for application in MIR lasers.
基金Project supported by the National Key Foundation for Exploring Scientific Instrument of China(2014YQ.120351)National Natural Science Foundation of China(11504266,51702235,51871167)。
文摘Nd^(3+)/Yb^(3+)co-doped fluorobromide glass samples were prepared by melt quenching.The mid-infrared(MIR)luminescence of the Nd^(3+)/Yb^(3+)co-doped fluorobromide glass was investigated by Br-doping reduces the phonon state density of the matrix.The 3.9μm MIR luminescence of the samples excited at 793 and 980 nm pump excitation was investigated in detail.There is an effective mutual energy transfer process between Nd^(3+)and Yb^(3+).It is proved under 793 nm excitation that the luminescence of Nd^(3+)at 3.9μm is reduced by effective energy transfer from,Nd^(3+):2 H11/2→Yb^(3+):2 F5/2,At the same time,it is proved that the effective energy transfer from Yb^(3+):2 F5/2→Nd^(3+):2 H11/2 under the excitation of 980 nm enhances the luminescence of Nd^(3+)at 3.9μm.In addition,it is found that the samples still have good infrared(IR)luminescent properties when the temperature changes.The emission cross-sectional area and the absorption cross-sectional area areσem(3.87×10^(-20)cm^(2))andσabs(4.25×10^(-20)cm^(2)).The fluorescence decay characteristics of the sample at 3.9μm at the 2 H11/2 level were investigated and the fluorescence lifetime was calculated.The gain performance of the sample was calculated and analyzed,which can reach 4.25×10^(-20)cm^(2).Those results prove that Nd^(3+)/Yb^(3+)co-doped fluorobromide glass is the potential mid-infrared laser gain material.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51835005,52273237)the National Key R&D Program of China(2022YFF1500400)。
文摘Driven by the growing demand for next-generation displays,the development of advanced luminescent materials with exceptional photoelectric properties is rapidly accelerating,with such materials including quantum dots and phosphors,etc.Nevertheless,the primary challenge preventing the practical application of these luminescent materials lies in meeting the required durability standards.Atomic layer deposition(ALD)has,therefore,been employed to stabilize luminescent materials,and as a result,flexible display devices have been fabricated through material modification,surface and interface engineering,encapsulation,cross-scale manufacturing,and simulations.In addition,the appropriate equipment has been developed for both spatial ALD and fluidized ALD to satisfy the low-cost,high-efficiency,and high-reliability manufacturing requirements.This strategic approach establishes the groundwork for the development of ultra-stable luminescent materials,highly efficient light-emitting diodes(LEDs),and thin-film packaging.Ultimately,this significantly enhances their potential applicability in LED illumination and backlighted displays,marking a notable advancement in the display industry.
文摘Ion beam-induced luminescence(IBIL) experiments were performed to investigate the in situ luminescence of GaN/Al_(2)O_(3) at varying ion energies,which allowed for the measurement of defects at different depths within the material.The energies of H^(+)were set to 500 keV,640 keV and 2 MeV,the Bragg peaks of which correspond to the GaN film,GaN/Al_(2)O_(3) heterojunction and Al_(2)O_(3) substrate,respectively.A photoluminescence measurement at 250 K was also performed for comparison,during which only near band edge(NBE) and yellow band luminescence in the GaN film were observed.The evolution of the luminescence of the NBE and yellow band in the GaN film was discussed,and both exhibited a decrease with the fluence of H^(+).Additionally,the luminescence of F centers,induced by oxygen vacancies,and Cr^(3+),resulting from the ^(2)E →^(4)A_(2) radiative transition in Al_(2)O_(3),were measured using 2 MeV H^(+).The luminescence intensity of F centers increases gradually with the fluence of H^(+).The luminescence evolution of Cr^(3+)is consistent with a yellow band center,attributed to its weak intensity,and it is situated within the emission band of the yellow band in the GaN film.Our results show that IBIL measurement can effectively detect the luminescence behavior of multilayer films by adjusting the ion energy.Luminescence measurement can be excited by various techniques,but IBIL can satisfy in situ luminescence measurement,and multilayer structural materials of tens of micrometers can be measured through IBIL by adjusting the energy of the inducing ions.The evolution of defects at different layers with ion fluence can be obtained.
基金Project supported by the National Key Foundation for Exploring Scientific Instrument of China(2014YQ120351)National Natural Science Foundation of China(11504266,51702235,51871167)the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin,China(17JCQNJC02300,18JCYBJC86200)。
文摘Ho^(3+)doped ZBLAN glass with 2.0 and 2.9μm emission was prepared.In order to further improve the luminescence of Ho^(3+),halogen ions(Cl,Br,1)were introduced to reduce the maximum phonon energy and phonon state density of the sample.At the same time,Nd^(3+)was introduced to transfer the energy to Ho^(3+)pumped with a 793 nm laser(Nd^(3+):4 F5/2,4 F3/2→Ho^(3+):5 I6).The effect of different halogen ion on the luminescent properties of the fluoride halide glass was compared.The results show that the luminescent intensity of infrared increases with the introduction of different halogen ions.By comparison,it is found that the sample with I-has the strongest luminescence of 1064 nm,2.0μm and 2.9μm.This is consistent with the calculated J-O intensity parameters.In addition,the 2.0 and 2.9μm emission of Ho^(3+)pumped with a 450 nm laser will not disappear.A mid-infrared sample with multi-wavelength excitation and multi-wavelength emission can be obtained.Nd^(3+)/Ho^(3+)co-doped fluoride halide glasses with 1064 nm,2.0μm and 2.9μm luminescence were prepared by melt quenching method.The luminescent mechanism and the energy transfer process between the two ions of Nd^(3+)/Ho^(3+)co-doped fluoride halide glass were studied.The J-O parameters,luminescence lifetime and absorption emission cross-sectional area of Ho^(3+)and Nd^(3+)were calculated,respectively.It is found that the value ofΩ2 in the glass matrix increases with the introduction of different halogen ions,whileΩ4 andΩ6 do not change obviously in different glass compositions.This is because the environment of the crystal field around the rare earth ions changes.The crystal phase and phonon energy of the sample were analyzed by X-ray diffraction pattern and a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer,respectively.Based on the above spectra and data(phonon energy is 634.71 cm-1),it can be predicted that Nd^(3+)/Ho^(3+)co-doped fluoride halide glass is a potential mid-infrared luminescent material.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11974220,61925508,61905265,and 12104271)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province,China(Grant Nos.ZR2021LLZ008 and ZR2021QA030)+1 种基金the Fund from Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality(Grant No.20511107400)CAS Interdisciplinary Innovation Team(Grant No.JCTD-2019-12).
文摘A 1.7-at.%Er:CaF_(2)crystal was synthesized by temperature gradient method.The Er:CaF_(2)crystal was applied in acousto-optically Q-switched laser at mid-infrared region for the first time.Using a Te O_(2)-based crystal as Q-switcher,we obtained a laser diode(LD)end-pumped Er:CaF_(2)laser with the highest single pulse energy up to 0.49 mJ and maximum peak power of 0.56 kW under 6.34-W absorbed pump power.The implication of these results is that the low-doped Er:CaF_(2)crystal exhibits promising optical properties in solid-state lasers.
基金National Key Research and Development Program of China (2019YFC1521102)National Natural Science Foundation of China (61701403,61806164,62101439,61906154)+4 种基金China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2018M643719)Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province (2020JQ-601)Young Talent Support Program of the Shaanxi Association for Science and Technology (20190107)Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi Province (2019GY-215,2021ZDLSF06-04)Major research and development project of Qinghai (2020-SF-143).
文摘Cerenkov Luminescence Tomography(CLT)is a novel and potential imaging modality which can display the three-dimensional distribution of radioactive probes.However,due to severe ill-posed inverse problem,obtaining accurate reconstruction results is still a challenge for traditional model-based methods.The recently emerged deep learning-based methods can directly learn the mapping relation between the surface photon intensity and the distribution of the radioactive source,which effectively improves the performance of CLT reconstruction.However,the previously proposed deep learning-based methods cannot work well when the order of input is disarranged.In this paper,a novel 3D graph convolution-based residual network,GCR-Net,is proposed,which can obtain a robust and accurate reconstruction result from the photon intensity of the surface.Additionally,it is proved that the network is insensitive to the order of input.The performance of this method was evaluated with numerical simulations and in vivo experiments.The results demonstrated that compared with the existing methods,the proposed method can achieve efficient and accurate reconstruction in localization and shape recovery by utilizing threedimensional information.
基金Shanghai Academic Research Leader,China(No.20XD1420200)Shanghai Shuguang Program,China(No.18SG29)。
文摘Hydrophilic rare-earth up-conversion nanophosphors(UCNPs)with small sizes and a strong up-conversion luminescence have attracted much interest.Herein the simultaneous control of morphologies and the up-conversion luminescence intensities was reported for NaYF_(4)∶Yb/Er nanophosphors by a facile hydrothermal procedure with different surfactants.With the change of the surfactants from polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP)to sodium citrate(CIT),edetate disodium(EDTA)or sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate(SDBS),the morphology of NaYF_(4)∶Yb/Er nanophosphors transformed from nanoparticles with a diameter of about 70.0 nm to hexagonal nanoblocks with a thickness of about 125.0 nm and a length of about 240.0 nm,nanorods with a diameter of about 700.0 nm and a length of about 2.6μm,or nanowires with a diameter of 250.0 nm and a length of about 3.2μm.Simultaneously,their up-conversion luminescence intensity went down gradually under laser irradiation at a wavelength of 980 nm due to the increase of photobleaching.PVP-capped NaYF_(4)∶Yb/Er nanoparticles exhibited the smallest size and the strongest up-conversion luminescence intensity.Biological experiment results revealed that NaYF_(4)∶Yb/Er nanophosphors exhibited a high biocompatibility and could be used as biological labels with a perfect signal-to-noise ratio for cancer cell imaging.
文摘With the development of mid-infrared (MIR) photoelectric devices, mid-infrared spectroscopy has become one of the important methods for non-invasive detection of blood glucose. The mid-infrared region (4000 - 400 cm<sup>-1</sup>) has the well-known fingerprint region (1200 - 800 cm<sup>-1</sup>) of glucose, which has clearer characteristic absorption peaks and better specificity. There is a lot of molecular information about glucose in the MIR. The non-invasive detection of blood glucose by mid-infrared spectroscopy needs to achieve certain accuracy, and the quantitative model is an important factor affecting the accuracy of glucose detection. In this paper, the samples of imitation solution containing only glucose and the samples of imitation mixed solution are taken as the research objects, and the mid-infrared spectral data of the samples are collected. The full spectrum partial least squares Regression (PLSR) model, SNV + Ctr-PLSR model, MSC + Ctr-PLSR model, and convolutional neural networks (CNN) model of 3000 - 900 cm<sup>-1</sup> band were constructed. Full spectrum PLS model and CNN model of 1200 - 900 cm<sup>-1</sup> band were constructed. The experimental results show that the optimal model of the two bands is CNN, then the correlation coefficient of prediction set (Rp) of 3000 - 900 cm<sup>-1</sup> band is 0.95, and the root mean square error of pre-diction set (RMSEP) value is 22.10. The Rp of 1200 - 900 cm<sup>-1</sup> band is 0.95, and the RMSEP value is 22.54. The research results show that CNN is a promising method, which has higher accuracy than PLSR, and is especially suitable for modeling human complex environment. In addition, the study provides a theoretical and practical basis for CNN in feature selection and model interpretation.
文摘Arson presents a challenging crime scene for fire investigators worldwide. Key to the investigation of suspected arson cases is the analysis of fire debris for the presence of accelerants or ignitable liquids. This study has investigated the application and method development of vapor phase mid-Infrared (mid-IR) spectroscopy using a field portable quantum cascade laser (QCL) based system for the detection and identification of accelerant residues such as gasoline, diesel, and ethanol in fire debris. A searchable spectral library of various ignitable fluids and fuel components measured in the vapor phase was constructed that allowed for real-time identification of accelerants present in samples using software developed in-house. Measurement of vapors collected from paper material that had been doused with an accelerant followed by controlled burning and then extinguished with water showed that positive identification could be achieved for gasoline, diesel, and ethanol. This vapor phase mid-IR QCL method is rapid, easy to use, and has the sensitivity and discrimination capability that make it well suited for non-destructive crime scene sample analysis. Sampling and measurement can be performed in minutes with this 7.5 kg instrument. This vibrational spectroscopic method required no time-consuming sample pretreatment or complicated solvent extraction procedure. The results of this initial feasibility study demonstrate that this portable fire debris analyzer would greatly benefit arson investigators performing analysis on-site.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51872327)。
文摘Recently, lanthanide-ion-doped luminescent materials have been extensively used as optical thermometry probes due to their fast responses, non-contact, and high sensitivity properties. Based on different responses of two emissions to temperature, the fluorescence intensity ratio(FIR) technique can be used to estimate the sensitivities for assessing the optical thermometry performances. In this study, we introduce different doping concentrations of Eu^(3+) ions into negative thermal expansion material Sc2W3O12to increase the thermal-enhanced luminescence from 373 K to 548 K, and investigate the temperature sensing properties in detail. All samples can exhibit their good luminescence behaviors thermally enhanced.The emission intensity of Sc2W3O12:6-mol% Eu3+phosphor reaches 147.8% of initial intensity at 473 K. As the Eu3+doping concentration increases, the resistance of the sample to thermal quenching decreases. The FIR technique based on each of the transitions 5D→7F_(1)(592 nm) and 5D→7F_(2)(613 nm) of Eu3+ions demonstrates a maximum relative temperature sensitivity of 3.063% K-1at 298 K for Sc_(2)W_(3)O_(12):6-mol% Eu3+phosphor. The sensitivity of sample decreases with the increase of Eu3+concentration. Benefiting from the thermal-enhanced luminescence performance and good temperature sensing properties, the Sc_(2)W_(3)O_(12):Eu^(3+)phosphors can be used as optical thermometers.
文摘The photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectra of undoped ZnO films deposited directly on Si substrate (sample A),on Si substrate through a SiC buffer layer (sample B),and on a ZnO crystal wafer (sample C) are investigated. There are emission peaks centered at 3.18eV (ultraviolet,UV) and 2.38eV (green) in these sampies. Comparing the Raman spectra and the variation of the PL peak intensities with annealing atmosphere, we conclude that the luminescence of the samples is related to the tensile strain in the ZnO film due to the lattice mismatch between the film and the substrate. In particular, the tensile strain reduces the formation energy of OZn antisite oxygen defects,which generate the green emission center. After annealing in oxygen-rich atmosphere, many OZn defects are generated. Thus, the intensity of green emission in ZnO/Si hetero-structure materials increases due to tensile strain in ZnO films.
基金Foundation item: Projects (10704090,10774140,11047147)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProjects (KJ090514,KJTD201016)supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing Municipal Education Commission,China
文摘Lutetium oxide nanocrystals codoped with Tm3+ and Yb3+ were synthesized by the reverse-like co-precipitation method, using ammonium hydrogen carbonate as precipitant. Effects of the Tm3+, Yb3+ molar fractions and calcination temperature on the structural and upconversion luminescent properties of the Lu2O3 nanocrystals were investigated. The XRD results show that all the prepared nanocrystals can be readily indexed to pure cubic phase of Lu2O3 and indicate good crystallinity. The experimental results show that concentration quenching occurs when the mole fraction of Tm3+ is above 0.2%. The optimal Tm3+ and Yb3+ doped molar fractions are 0.2% and 2%, respectively. The strong blue (490 nm) and the weak red (653 nm) emissions from the prepared nanocrystals were observed under 980 nm laser excitation, and attributed to the 1G4→3H6 and IG4→3F4 transitions of Tm3+, respectively. Power-dependent study reveals that the 1G4 levels of Tm3+ can be populated by three-step energy transfer process. The upconversion emission intensities of 490 nm and 653 nm increase gradually with the increase of calcination temperature. The enhancement of the upconversion luminescence is suggested to be the consequence of reducing number of OH- groups and the enlarged nanoerystal size.
文摘[Objective] The research aimed to study the effects of magnetic stress on the delayed luminescence of mung bean leaves.[Method]With mung bean leaves as the experimental materials,the delayed luminescence curve of mung bean leaves under the same magnetic field intensity at different processing time was measured by using BPCL-type weak luminescence measuring instrument.[Result] The absorption of the magnetic field stimulation within the leaves had its own rules.A certain magnetic field intensity and a certain...
文摘The peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence(CL)detection of fatty acids in human se- rum combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)is described.Some fatty acids in serum were extracted with a 1 :1(v/v)mixture of chloroform-n-heptane.2-(4-Hydrazinocarbonyl- phenyl)-4,5-diphenylimidazole (HCPI) was used as a fluorescent labelling reagent of the fatty acids. The labelling reaction was carried out at 30℃ for 1 h at pH 6.5 and the resulting reaction mixture was sudjected to HPLC. The labelled fatty acid C_(17)(P-C_(17))was used as the internal standard. The la- belled fatty acids C_(16) and C_(18) were separated within 18 min on an ODS-8OTM column (150 mm× 6 mm ID,5μm,Tosoh Japan).The calibrlation curves of fatty acids from the spiked control serum were Y_1=-0.003 7 + 0.0028X_1,r=0.994 for FA C_( 16) and Y_2=0.00 1 2 + 0.00098X_2,r=0.999 for FA C_( 18),respectively.The average recoveries of facids from the spiked contrl serum were 107.2%(n=8,RSD=4.3%)for FA C_(16) and 97.35%(n=8, RSD=4.0%)for FA C_(18),respectively.The lower detection limits of fatty acids after reaction were 12μmol per 20μl injection for FA C_(16) and 18 μmol per 20μl injection for FA C_(18),respectively(signal to noise ratio, S/N=2).The HPLC/CL method was applied to the determination of FA C_(16) and FA C_(18) in normal human serum and the results showed that the concentrations of fatty acids in normal human serum were 0.134 ± 0.009 μ mol/ml serum(n=5) for FA C_(16) and 0.052±0.028 μmol/ml serum(n=5)for FA C_(18),respectively.
文摘This paper analyzed 11 lubricating oil 50-1-4Ф samples of different base oil content (standard oil) and 28 used oil samples by Fourier transform mid-infrared spectrometer (FTIR). First, the absorption peak of 1 465 cm 1 was selected as the characteristic peak for determining their kinematic viscosities. And then correlation of the kinematic viscosity and the absorbance at characteristic peaks of corresponding infrared spectrum of standard oil and used oil samples was analyzed, re- spectively, and two regression equations were proposed. Finally, the regression equation of standard oil was corrected through other 20 new oil samples. The results show that determining kinematic viscosity of new lubricating oil 50-1-4Ф and the used one by FTIR is feasible and reliable.
文摘A series of aviation lubrication oil 50-1-4φ samples were prepared with different RP-3 content, and then these sam- ples were analyzed by Fourier transform mid-infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The infrared region of 805--755 cm-1 was selected as quantitative area for determining fuel pollution level of aviation lubrication oil. Finally, correlation of the testing peak area and the fuel pollution level of corresponding samples were analyzed, and the regression equation was proposed. The results show that determining jet fuel pollution level of aviation lubricating oil by FTIR is feasible and reliable.
基金Project supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation
文摘Trivalent lanthanide ions display fascinating optical properties. The discovery of the corresponding elements and their first industrial uses were intimately linked to their optical properties. This relationship has been kept alive until today when many high-technology applications of lanthanide-containing materials such as energy-saving lighting devices, displays, optical fibers and amplifiers, lasers, responsive luminescent stains for biomedical analyses and in cellulo sensing and imaging, heavily rely on the brilliant and pure-color emission of lanthanide ions. In this review we first outlined the basics of lanthanide luminescence with emphasis on f-f transitions, the sensitization mechanisms, and the assessment of the luminescence efficiency of lanthanide-containing emissive molecular edifices. Emphasis was then put on two fast developing aspects of lanthanide luminescence: materials for telecommunications and light emitting diodes, and biomedical imaging and sensing. Recent advances in NIR-emitting materials for plastic amplifiers and waveguides were described, together with the main solutions brought by researchers to minimize non-radiative deactivation of excited states. The demonstration in 1999 that erbium tris(8-hydroxyquinolinate) displayed a bright green emission suitable for organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) was followed by realizing that in OLEDs, 25% of the excitation energy leads to singlet states and 75% to triplet states. Since lanthanide ions are good triplet quenchers, they now also play a key role in the development of these lighting devices. Luminescence analyses of biological molecules are among the most sensitive analytical techniques known. The long lifetime of the lanthanide excited states allows time-resolved spectroscopy to be used, suppressing the sample autofluorescence and reaching very low detection limits. Not only visible lanthanide sensors are now ubiquitously provided in medical diagnosis and in cell imaging, but the feasibility of using NIR emission of ions such as YbⅢ is now being tested because of deeper penetration in biological tissues.