Photoluminescence (abbreviated as PL) is a process in which a substance absorbs photons (electromagnetic radiation) and then re-radiates photons. Quantum mechanically, this can be described as an excitation to a higher energy state and then a return to a lower energy state accompanied by the emission of a photon. This is one of many forms of luminescence (light emission) and is distinguished by photoexcitation (excitation by photons), hence the prefix photo-. The period between absorption and emission is typically extremely short, in the order of 10 nanoseconds. Under special circumstances, however, this period can be extended into minutes or hours.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA
Sorry, no news articles match your request
About
Phys.org™ is a leading web-based science, research and technology news service which covers a full range of topics.
Phys.org is a part of Science X network. With a global reach of over 10 million monthly readers and featuring dedicated websites for science (Phys.org), technology (Tech Xplore) and medical research (Medical Xpress), the Science X network is one of the largest online communities for science-minded people.
Read moreIdentify the news topics you want to see and prioritize an order.
Science never stops. Get notified about trending stories.