I define luminescence as the emission of light from solid materials. It is closely related to atomic emission (light from gas-phase atoms), fluorescence (light from molecules), and phosphorescence (long-lived light emission).
Although much work has focused on size effects in semiconductor quantum dots, little is known about the effects on localized luminescent ions when the host material approaches nanometer dimensions. This project has brought together chemists and physicists to study nanostructured luminescent materials in a very detailed and synergistic manner. The detailed physical measurements have provided rapid feedback to modify the nanoparticle synthesis, and the availability of tailored samples has allowed the design of comprehensive spectroscopic experiments. This project is contributing to a detailed understanding of the structure and chemistry of nanoparticles and the radiative and nonradiative dynamics of luminescent ions in nanostructured materials.
Background on luminescent ions in solids
under construction, sorry...
