Issue 9, 2025

The self-activated LiGa5O8 storage phosphor: insights into its photo/thermo/mechano-stimulated NIR luminescence

Abstract

Multi-mode storage phosphors with photo/thermo/mechano-stimulated luminescence (PSL/TSL/ML) hold great potential applications in many fields such as biological imaging, human–machine interface, robotic manipulation, and stress/temperature visualization sensing. However, the physical mechanisms underlying this ‘self-sustaining’ luminescence are still debated, which in turn hinders the development of materials. Here, we demonstrate that the intrinsic defects such as the oxygen atom vacancies (Image ID:d4tc04818k-t1.gif) and interstitial oxygen atoms (Image ID:d4tc04818k-t2.gif) in the matrix play an important role in the electronic structure and various physical properties of the LiGa5O8 storage phosphor by combining first-principles calculations and experimental methods. Particularly, the intrinsic defects lead to reduced bulk (B) and shear (G) moduli, Young's moduli (E), Poisson's ratio (v), B/G, and the bigger elastic anisotropy index (AU) and hardness (H) in three LiGa5O8 defect models, which are extremely advantageous for PSL/TSL/ML. We also demonstrate that the ML process, different from PSL/TSL processes, is intimately linked to the activation threshold of charge carriers in traps. This threshold can be lowered under axial stress by bandgap narrowing. This study provides not only direct evidence for potential variations in the ML process but also guidance for designing storage phosphors via defect engineering.

Graphical abstract: The self-activated LiGa5O8 storage phosphor: insights into its photo/thermo/mechano-stimulated NIR luminescence

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 Nov 2024
Accepted
27 Dec 2024
First published
31 Dec 2024

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2025,13, 4616-4625

The self-activated LiGa5O8 storage phosphor: insights into its photo/thermo/mechano-stimulated NIR luminescence

M. Jia, X. Zhang, X. Yang, Z. Lin, D. Jia, Y. Wang, S. Yun and D. Gao, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2025, 13, 4616 DOI: 10.1039/D4TC04818K

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