Crystal Growth of Complex Luminescent Oxides

从高温溶液中生长晶体用于制造具有复杂结构和理想发光性能的新型氧化物材料。从高温溶液中生长晶体的几种方法正在被研究，以创造用于固态照明应用的不同类别的发光材料，包括使用高温溶液来生长用于固态照明和上转换应用的新型复杂含稀土氧化物；以及在高还原条件下稳定的助熔剂用于含Eu2+的络合物荧光粉的晶体生长。此外，本研究在英国的Diamond束流线上原位研究了助熔剂中晶体生长的过程，旨在揭示通常既没有观察到也没有分离到的中间体的物化过程，以及最终产品的形成。从短期来看，从原位工作中获得的信息用于优化晶体生长实验，而从长远来看，这种理解将通量晶体生长从经验方法转变为更深思熟虑的过程。固体照明材料领域的研究重点是开发能量效率更高、视觉效果更好的发光荧光粉。为了完成这些任务，本科生、研究生和博士后研究人员正在接受尖端技术的培训，以使用最先进的仪器合成和表征这些材料。该项目向学生（包括妇女和代表性不足的少数民族）提供教育和研究培训，并帮助为学术界和工业界培养熟练的劳动力。

Crystal growth from high temperature solutions is used to create new oxide materials with complex structures and desirable luminescent properties. Several approaches to the crystal growth from high temperature solutions are being pursued to create different classes of luminescent materials for solid-state lighting applications, including the use of high temperature solutions to grow new complex rare earth containing oxides for solid state lighting and upconversion applications; and the use of fluxes stable under highly reducing conditions for the crystal growth of complex Eu2+ containing phosphors. In addition, this research investigates the process of crystal growth in fluxes using in-situ at the Diamond beam line in the UK, aiming to reveal the materialization of intermediates that are typically neither observed nor isolated, and the formation of the final product. In the short term, the information gained from the in-situ work is used to optimize the crystal growth experiments, while in the long run this understanding transforms flux crystal growth from an empirical method to a more deliberate process.The area of solid state lighting materials is focused on the development of energetically more efficient and visually more pleasing light emitting phosphors. To accomplish these tasks, undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are being trained in cutting-edge techniques for synthesizing and characterizing these materials using state of the art instrumentation. This project provides education and research training to students (including women and underrepresented minorities) and helps to prepare a skilled workforce for academia and industry.