An emission enhancement structure having at least one energy augmentation structure; and an energy converter capable of receiving energy from an energy source, converting the energy and emitting therefrom a light of a different energy than the received energy. The energy converter is disposed in a vicinity of the at least one energy augmentation structure such that the emitted light is emitted with an intensity larger than if the converter were remote from the at least one energy augmentation structure. Also described are various uses for the energy emitters, energy augmentation structures and energy collectors in a wide array of fields, such as color enhancement, and color enhancement structures containing the same.

An emission enhancement structure having at least one energy augmentation structure; and an energy converter capable of receiving energy from an energy source, converting the energy and emitting therefrom a light of a different energy than the received energy. The energy converter is disposed in a vicinity of the at least one energy augmentation structure such that the emitted light is emitted with an intensity larger than if the converter were remote from the at least one energy augmentation structure. Also described are various uses for the energy emitters, energy augmentation structures and energy collectors in a wide array of fields, especially in the field of solar cells and other energy conversion devices.

Persistent infrared (IR) phosphors are disclosed. In an embodiment a phosphor has the general formula: M1.sub.(mk)Ga.sub.(2nxyz)M2.sub.pO.sub.(rm+3n+2p):xSb.sup.3+,yM3,zD,kM4, wherein M1 is chosen from magnesium, calcium, barium, strontium, zinc, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, gadolinium, lutetium, or bismuth, or combinations thereof; M2 is chosen from silicon, germanium, tin, titanium, zirconium, or combinations thereof; M3 is chosen from magnesium, aluminum, indium, scandium, or combinations thereof; M4 is chosen from praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, europium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, or combinations thereof; D is chosen from chromium, iron, nickel, manganese, or cobalt, or combinations thereof; and wherein 1m4; 1n3; 0p5; 0.0002x2n; 0y2n; 0.0001z0.1; 0k0.1; and r is selected from 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3.

Provided are a phosphor-containing capable of suppressing deterioration of phosphors and can be manufactured with high efficiency and a backlight unit. Specifically, provided is a phosphor-containing film, including a first substrate film; and a phosphor-containing layer at which a plurality of regions containing phosphors, which, if exposed to oxygen, deteriorate by reacting with the oxygen, are discretely disposed on the first substrate film, and at which a resin layer having an impermeability to oxygen is disposed between the discretely disposed regions containing phosphors, in which a width S of the resin layer between the regions containing phosphors is 0.01S<0.5 mm, and wherein a ratio of a volume Vp of the regions containing phosphors, to a sum of the volume Vp and a volume Vb of the resin layer in the phosphor-containing layer, is 0.1Vp/(Vp+Vb)<0.9.

Disclosed here is a method for making a monolithic rare earth oxide (REO) aerogel, comprising: preparing a reaction mixture comprising at least one rare earth metal nitrate, at least one epoxide, at least one base catalyst, and at least one organic solvent; curing the mixture to produce a wet gel; drying the wet gel to produce a dry gel; and thermally annealing the dry gel to produce the monolithic REO aerogel. Also disclosed is an REO aerogel comprising a network of REO nanostructures, wherein the REO aerogel is a monolith having at least one lateral dimension of at least 1 cm, wherein the REO aerogel has a density of about 40-500 mg/cm.sup.3 and/or a BET surface area of at least about 20 m.sup.2/g, and wherein the REO aerogel is substantially free of oxychloride.

Disclosed here is a method for making a monolithic rare earth oxide (REO) aerogel, comprising: preparing a reaction mixture comprising at least one rare earth metal nitrate, at least one epoxide, at least one base catalyst, and at least one organic solvent; curing the mixture to produce a wet gel; drying the wet gel to produce a dry gel; and thermally annealing the dry gel to produce the monolithic REO aerogel. Also disclosed is an REO aerogel comprising a network of REO nanostructures, wherein the REO aerogel is a monolith having at least one lateral dimension of at least 1 cm, wherein the REO aerogel has a density of about 40-500 mg/cm.sup.3 and/or a BET surface area of at least about 20 m.sup.2/g, and wherein the REO aerogel is substantially free of oxychloride.

Disclosed herein is a method including manufacturing a powder having a composition of formula (1),

M.sup.1.sub.aM.sup.2.sub.bM.sup.3.sub.cM.sup.4.sub.dO.sub.12(1) where O represents oxygen, M.sup.1, M.sup.2, M.sup.3, and M.sup.4 represents a first, second, third, and fourth metal that are different from each other, where the sum of a+b+c+d is about 8, where a has a value of about 2 to about 3.5, b has a value of 0 to about 5, c has a value of 0 to about 5 d has a value of 0 to about 1, where b and c, b and d, or c and d cannot both be equal to zero simultaneously, where M.sup.1 is a rare earth element comprising gadolinium, yttrium, lutetium, scandium, or a combination of thereof, M.sup.2 is aluminum or boron, M.sup.3 is gallium, and M.sup.4 is a dopant; and heating the powder to a temperature of 500 to 1700 C. in an oxygen containing atmosphere to manufacture a crystalline scintillator.

An emission enhancement structure having at least one energy augmentation structure; and an energy converter capable of receiving energy from an energy source, converting the energy and emitting therefrom a light of a different energy than the received energy. The energy converter is disposed in a vicinity of the at least one energy augmentation structure such that the emitted light is emitted with an intensity larger than if the converter were remote from the at least one energy augmentation structure. Also described are various uses for the energy emitters, energy augmentation structures and energy collectors in a wide array of fields, such as color enhancement, and color enhancement structures containing the same.

An emission enhancement structure having at least one energy augmentation structure; and an energy converter capable of receiving energy from an energy source, converting the energy and emitting therefrom a light of a different energy than the received energy. The energy converter is disposed in a vicinity of the at least one energy augmentation structure such that the emitted light is emitted with an intensity larger than if the converter were remote from the at least one energy augmentation structure. Also described are various uses for the energy emitters, energy augmentation structures and energy collectors in a wide array of fields, especially in the field of solar cells and other energy conversion devices.

A light-emitting ceramic that includes a pyrochlore type compound that contains 0.01 mol % or more of Bi with respect to 100 mol % of ABO.sub.W, and one co-added element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Zn, Sr, Ba, Sc, Ga, In, Yb, and Lu. The A site contains at least one selected from the group consisting of La, Y, and Gd in a total amount of 80 mol % or more, B contains at least Sn, and W is a positive number for maintaining electrical neutrality.