Photo-stimulated long-lasting phosphorescence in Mn2+-doped zinc borosilicate glasses

In addition to long-lasting phosphorescence (LLP), photo-stimulated long-lasting phosphorescence (PSLLP) was also observed in Mn2+-doped zinc borosilicate glasses (ZSBM). When the bright red LLP induced by the irradiation of a ultraviolet (UV) lamp with lambda(max) = 254 nm disappeared, the glass could re-emit this phosphorescence under the stimulation of lower energy light ranging from about 300 to 800 nm, while this phenomenon is not present without the pre-irradiation. The re-emitted phosphorescence was considerably bright and persistent after the removal of the stimulation light, hence called PSLLP. This PSLLP consists of two steps: the re-capture of the electrons photo-released from deep traps during the stimulation and the LLP process following the removal of the stimulation light. We demonstrated optical storage by using the ZSBM glass. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.