Review of the Interpretations of Luminescence Phenomena*

Abstract

After a brief discussion of the importance of the interpretations of luminescence phenomena to the design and improvement of phosphors and to the modern electronic theory of solids, the general theoretical approaches and models are presented. The particular scopes of application and limitations of the electronic band theory model and the configurational coordinate model are stressed. Phenomenological analyses of temperature-quenching of efficiency and afterglow, two-stage afterglow, thermoluminescence, electron retrapping, and positive hole migration, that have been developed and emphasized during the past decade, are reviewed and compared with experimental data. In addition, the atomistic interpretations that have been qualitatively developed and are being quantitatively refined are briefly presented. The need for an absolute theory of luminescence, by means of which the significant properties of phosphors can be quantitatively computed from first principles, is emphasized.