Intense deformation luminescence from sintered Sr3AI2O6 :: Eu

We have investigated the deformation luminescence (DL) phenomena in sintered Sr3Al2O6 : Eu. The DL from sintered Sr3Al2O6: Eu was clearly visible to the naked eye in the atmosphere, and was produced owing to the physical processes induced during deformation. The DL was sensitive to stress and was observed below the pressure of 10 MPa. There is no report on the DL of sintered ceramic, the DL phenomenon of sintered ceramic is first reported first to our knowledge. The DL intensity of sintered Sr3Al2O6: Eu decreased on repetitive application of stress, but it was completely recovered by irradiation with ultraviolet light. The DL intensity was recovered by not only ultraviolet light but also visible light. It is suggested that Sr3Al2O6: Eu is a suitable DL material, which shows repeated DL with undiminished intensity. We think that the DL mechanism arises from the movement of dislocations or heat and recombination between electrons and holes released from these traps associated with doped Eu2+ centers.