Broadband near-infrared (NIR) emitting Cr -doped La Ga SnO phosphor with long persistent and photostimulated persistent luminescence.

Recently, long persistent phosphors (LPPs) have attracted significant attention as promising candidates for biomedical applications. However, the serious decrease in luminescence intensity in tissue still remains a major challenge. Therefore, exploring more competitive LPPs and achieving reproducible tissue imaging is crucial. In this study, a new series of near-infrared (NIR) phosphors La Ga Sn O :xCr (x = 0.005-0.05) were synthesized using a high-temperature solid-state method. The as-synthesized samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction, diffuse/photoluminescence spectroscopy, fluorescence decay curves, and thermoluminescence spectroscopy. Upon excitation with ultraviolet light, strong emission bands were observed in the range 600-1200 nm with an optimal doping concentration of x = 0.02 mol. Moreover, La Ga SnO :Cr exhibits persistent luminescence due to the presence of suitable energy traps, which prompted the phosphor to emit NIR light even after the removal of the excitation source.