Liquid nitrogen temperature to 700 K Bi3+ thermoluminescence: Toward wide-temperature-range light dosimeters for versatile anti-counterfeiting, information storage, and x-ray imaging

Abstract

Discovering light dosimeters that can function effectively from liquid nitrogen temperature to 700 K presents significant challenges. Such dosimeters facilitate a range of cutting-edge applications, including anti-counterfeiting measures at low temperature for cryo-preservation. To facilitate such discovery, stacked vacuum referred binding energy diagrams for the LiYGeO4 cluster of crystals have been first constructed. They offer a robust method for controlling both electron and hole trapping depth in the LiYGeO4 cluster of crystals. Wide temperature shifting of Bi2+ and Eu2+ thermoluminescence (TL) glow bands emerges from 200 to 500 K for LiYxLu1-xGeO4:0.01Bi3+ and LiYxLu1-xGeO4:0.01Bi3+, 0.001Eu3+, by changing x, facilitating conduction band tailoring. Wide temperature shifting of Bi4+ TL glow bands emerges from 300 to 700 K for LiYGezSi1-zO4:0.01Bi3+, by tuning z, facilitating valence band tailoring. TL glow band peaks near 135, 185, 232, and 311 K emerge in LiyNa1-yYGeO4: 0.001Bi3+. Particularly, the discovered Bi3+ or/and lanthanide modified LiYGeO4 cluster of crystals exhibit superior charge carrier storage capacity and minimal TL fading properties. For instance, the ratio of TL intensity of the optimized LiYGe0.75Si0.25O4:0.001Bi3+ to that of industrial BaFBr(I):Eu2+ is as high as ∼4. Interestingly, imaging of intense optically driven Bi3+ ultraviolet-A (UVA) luminescence has been validated in 254 nm energized LiY0.25Lu0.75GeO4:0.01Bi3+ with a 100 lux white LED illumination. Together with ZnS:Mn2+, LiTaO3:Bi3+, Sm3+, and Cs2ZrCl6:Sb3+ perovskites, the realization of wide range liquid nitrogen temperature to 700 K Bi3+ thermoluminescence in Bi3+ or/and lanthanide modified LiYGeO4 cluster of crystals with superior charge carrier storage capacity offers promising use for versatile anti-counterfeiting, information storage, and delayed x-ray imaging purposes.