Realizing Near Infrared Mechanoluminescence Switch in LAGO:Cr Based on Oxygen Vacancy

Sheng Wu; Binli Xiao; Dongliang Jiang; Yao Xiao; Peishan Shao; Zhiyao Zhou; Yinzhen Wang; Puxian Xiong

doi:10.1002/smll.202309034

Realizing Near Infrared Mechanoluminescence Switch in LAGO:Cr Based on Oxygen Vacancy

Small. 2024 Mar 7:e2309034. doi: 10.1002/smll.202309034. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Sheng Wu¹, Binli Xiao¹, Dongliang Jiang², Yao Xiao³, Peishan Shao³, Zhiyao Zhou¹, Yinzhen Wang¹, Puxian Xiong³

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Atomic and Subatomic Structure and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Quantum Matter, Frontier Research Institute for Physics, School of Physics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
² School of Applied Physics and Materials, Wuyi University, Jiangmen, 529000, China.
³ School of Physics and Optoelectronics, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fiber Laser Materials and Applied Techniques, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research and Development Center of Special Optical Fiber Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China.

PMID: 38453687
DOI: 10.1002/smll.202309034

Abstract

Mechanoluminescence (ML) materials are featured with the characteristic of "force to light" in response to external stimuli, which have made great progress in artificial intelligence and optical sensing. However, how to effectively enable ML in the material is a daunting challenge. Here, a Lu₃ Al₂ Ga₃ O₁₂ :Cr³⁺ (LAGO: Cr³⁺ ) near infrared (NIR) ML material peaked at 706 nm is reported, which successfully realizes the key to unlock ML by the lattice-engineering strategy Ga³⁺ substitution for Al³⁺ to "grow" oxygen vacancy (O_v ) defects. Combined with thermoluminescence measurements, the observed ML is due to the formation of defect levels and the ML intensity is proportional to it. It is confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance that such a process is dominated by O_v , which plays a crucial role in turning on ML in this compound. In addition, potential ML emissions from ⁴ T₂ and ² E level transitions are discussed from both experimental and theoretical aspects. This study reveals the mechanism of the change in ML behavior after cation substitution, and it may have important implications for the practical application of O_v defect-regulated turn-on of ML.

Keywords: LAGO: Cr3+; NIR ML; defect-regulation; oxygen vacancy; switch.

Abstract

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