Luminescence: Difference between revisions

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For context, [[incandescence]] is light from being at high temperature, like [[black-body radiation]] or [[fire]].
'''Luminescence''' then is emission of light that comes from, well, roughly anything other than being at high temperature.


'''Luminescence''' then is emission of light that comes from, well, roughly anything other than being at high temperature.
{{comment|(For context, [[incandescence]] is light from being at high temperature, like [[black-body radiation]] or [[fire]])}}




We could split this into a handful of overall categories, and then into more technical ones,  
We could split luminescence into  
but we usually care about the few useful and/or common ones, seen in everyday life and/or products.
a handful of overall categories,  
and then into even more technical ones,  
but we usually care about the few useful and/or common ones,
seen in everyday life and/or products.




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* '''Photoluminescence''' - is light that is emitted due to absorption of photons (of a different wavelenth).  Basically two variants:
* '''Photoluminescence''' - is light that is emitted due to absorption of photons (of a different wavelenth).  Basically two variants:
: '''fluorescence'''
: '''fluorescence'''
:: will absorb light (of varied wavelengths), and emit it at a higher wavelength
:: will absorb light (of varied wavelengths), and emit it again, at a higher wavelength
:: will stop glowing almost immediately - so you usually won't notice it
:: will stop glowing almost immediately - so you usually notice only the the actively powered variant, not the passive variant
:: Examples:  
:: Examples:  
::: happens a bunch in nature
::: happens a bunch in nature
::: 'optical brightener' detegents
::: 'optical brightener' detergents
::: more selective to UV:
::: more selective to UV:
:::: tonic water in reaction to UV, due to quinine
:::: tonic water in reaction to UV, due to quinine
:::: banknotes often have security features to check
:::: banknotes often have security features to check


: '''Phosphorescence''' (actually two different mechanisms)
* '''Phosphorescence''' (actually two different mechanisms)
:: will absorb light, and emit it at a higher wavelength
:: will absorb light, and emit it at a higher wavelength
:: and will keep doing so for some time, unlike fluorescence
:: and will keep doing so for some time, unlike fluorescence
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* '''Electroluminescence'''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroluminescence] - something that lights due to passing current or an electric field
* '''Electroluminescence'''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroluminescence] - something that lights due to passing current or an electric field
: is usually a semiconductor effect
: is usually a semiconductor effect
: Examples: LEDs, OLED, EL wire, light-emitting capacitors, and more, many for slightly different reasons
: Examples: LED, OLED, [[EL wire]], light-emitting capacitors, and more, many for slightly different reasons
 
 


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=="Glow in the dark"==
=="Glow in the dark"==
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People use "glow in the dark" to refer to both fluorescence and phosphorescence.
People use "glow in the dark" to refer to both fluorescence and phosphorescence.


: fluorescence    - the things that light up under something like UV, perhaps best known for things light up in clubs
* fluorescence    - the things that light up under something like UV, perhaps best known for things light up in clubs
:: Not just UV, but if it's visible light making other visible light, it would just be... a color - we wouldn't notice it.  We associate them with UV in part just because the UV source can be fairly strong without that being very visible to us, so this is a case where we see ''only'' the reaction.  
:: Not just UV, but if it's visible light making other visible light, it would just be... a color - we wouldn't notice it.  We associate them with UV in part just because the UV source can be fairly strong without that being very visible to us, so this is a case where we see ''only'' the reaction.  


: phosphorescence - the things that persist for a while (e.g. the faint green stars we had on ceilings as kids)
* phosphorescence - the things that persist for a while (e.g. the faint green stars we had on ceilings as kids)
:: if holding something under a light for a bit makes it visible in the dark for a minute, it's this.
:: if holding something under a light for a bit makes it visible in the dark for a minute, it's this.



Latest revision as of 15:33, 6 April 2024

This article/section is a stub — some half-sorted notes, not necessarily checked, not necessarily correct. Feel free to ignore, or tell me about it.


(Not to be confused with luminance, a descriptive 'amount of light' term that lives in the area of illuminance, luminance, brightness)


Types of luminescence

This article/section is a stub — some half-sorted notes, not necessarily checked, not necessarily correct. Feel free to ignore, or tell me about it.



"Glow in the dark"

UV powder

Zinc Sulfide

Strontium Iluminate

UV dye