Heterogeneous Chemiluminescence of Crystal Phosphors on X‐Ray or UV Irradiation

Abstract

Using a high‐vacuum assembly with molecular beams and setups with an implemented atom probe, we investigated atomic and molecular adsorption luminescence of the oxides CaO‐Bi and MgO in O and O2 beams and also radical‐recombination luminescence excited by H and O atoms in ZnS and in ZnS,CdS samples activated with silver, copper, and the rare‐earth element Tm. It is established that exposure to UV light and x‐ray radiation of the CaO‐Bi, MgO, and ZnS‐Tm samples, where the mechanism of direct excitation of heterogeneous chemiluminescence (HCL) is realized, does not influence the characteristics of the heterogeneous chemiluminescence, whereas similar exposure of the ZnS,CdS‐Cu,Al and ZnS,CdS‐Ag samples and of self‐activated ZnS, in which the excitation of heterogeneous chemiluminescence is due to the ionization of the lattice, leads to an increase in the intensity of heterogeneous chemiluminescence up to five orders of magnitude. The mechanisms of the phenomenon are considered.