title: Broadband NIR luminescence from a new bismuth doped Ba2B5O9Cl crystal: evidence for the Bi0 model.
abstract: A new type of bismuth doped Ba(2)B(5)O(9)Cl crystal is reported to exhibit broadband near infrared (NIR) photoluminescence at room temperature, which has been identified here originating from elementary bismuth atom. Rietveld refining, static and dynamic spectroscopic properties reveal two types of Bi(0) centers in the doped compound due to the successful substitution for two different nine-coordinated barium lattice sites. These centers can be created only in a reducing condition, and when treated in air and N(2)/H(2) flow in turn, they can be removed and restored reversely. As the dwelling time is prolonged in N(2)/H(2) at high temperature, conversion from Bi(2+) to Bi(0), as reflected by changes of their relative emission intensities, is witnessed in the crystal of Ba(2)B(5)O(9)Cl:Bi. The lifetime of the NIR luminescence was observed in a magnitude of ~30 μs, rather different from bismuth doped either glasses or crystals reported previously.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Institute of Optical Communication Materials, School of Materials Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Jiayu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Mingying
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Fengwen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Renping
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Zhijun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Guoping
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Jianrong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Shanhui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D001729:Bismuth / Q000737:chemistry*; D001881:Borates / Q000737:chemistry*; D007259:Infrared Rays; D049449:Luminescence; D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000379:methods*; D008422:Materials Testing
chemical_list: D001881:Borates; C552408:barium calcium borate; D001729:Bismuth