A phosphor, combined with LED having not exceeding 470 nm, of high emission intensity and with chemical and thermal stability is provided. The phosphor according to the present invention comprises an inorganic compound in which element A (A is one or two or more kinds of elements selected from Mn, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, and Yb) is solid solved in an inorganic crystal including at least metal element M and non-metal element X and represented by M.sub.nX.sub.n+1 (3n5), an inorganic crystal having the same crystal structure, or an inorganic crystal including a solid solution thereof. Here, M comprises at least Al and Si, and if necessary element L (L is a metal element other than Al and Si) and X comprises N, O if necessary, and element Z if necessary (Z is a non-metal element other than N and O).

A wavelength conversion phosphor having a wavelength conversion function, which is high in fluorescence output and excellent in heat resistance. The wavelength conversion phosphor including a first metal oxide phase as a phosphor phase containing activated metal ions which emit fluorescence, and a second metal oxide phase adjacent to the first metal oxide phase through an interface, in which a concentration of the activated metal ions in the interface is higher than a concentration of the activated metal ions contained in the first metal oxide phase.

The invention relates to a security feature having a luminescent substance with the general formula AXO.sub.3: Z (I) or B.sub.0.5XO.sub.3: Z (II) or A.sub.1-2yB.sub.yXO.sub.3: Z (III), where A is an alkali metal, B is an alkaline earth metal, X stands for Nb or Ta, Z is the luminescence activator, and y lies between 0 and 0.5. The invention also relates to a security element, a security paper and a value document which is equipped with the security feature according to the invention, and to the use of the luminescent substance with the general formula (I), (II) or (III) as a feature substance for authentication. The luminescent substance is obtained by annealing solid starting materials.

Provided is a carbon nanostructure including a plurality of organic molecules that are decomposition products of an organic solvent. The carbon nanostructure includes a carbon nanostructure core and a plurality of organic molecules bound to and grown on the carbon nanostructure core, wherein the carbon nanostructure core is a combination of the organic molecules.

An exemplary embodiment provides for a source of white light having at least one white light emitting device composed of a transparent glass/quartz chamber, a vacuum chamber including an optically active element, a spacer, a focusing lens, an IR laser diode, where the optically active element arranged in the vacuum chamber is a thin-layer oxide matrix doped with rare earth ions selected from the group of Nd, Yb, the concentration of dopant ions being in the range of 0.0001 to 100 at %.

A production method of a phosphor includes firing a starting material mixture in a nitrogen atmosphere at a temperature range between 1,500 C. inclusive and 2,200 C. inclusive. The starting material mixture is a mixture of metallic compounds, and is capable of constituting a composition including M, A, Al, O, and N (M is Eu; and A is one kind or two or more kinds of element(s) selected from C, Si, Ge, Sn, B, Ga, In, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, La, Gd, Lu, Ti, Zr, Hf, Ta, and W) by firing.

An exemplary embodiment provides for a source of white light having at least one white light emitting device composed of a transparent glass/quartz chamber, a vacuum chamber including an optically active element, a spacer, a focusing lens, an IR laser diode, where the optically active element arranged in the vacuum chamber is a thin-layer oxide matrix doped with rare earth ions selected from the group of Nd, Yb, the concentration of dopant ions being in the range of 0.0001 to 100 at %.

Provided is a carbon nanostructure including a plurality of organic molecules that are decomposition products of an organic solvent. The carbon nanostructure includes a carbon nanostructure core and a plurality of organic molecules bound to and grown on the carbon nanostructure core, wherein the carbon nanostructure core is a combination of the organic molecules.

A security feature has a luminescent component and a component camouflaging the luminescent component. A security feature has a luminescent component with at least one luminophore consisting of a doped host lattice, and a component camouflaging the luminescent component, wherein for camouflaging the luminescent component, relevant properties required for identifying the luminescent component are camouflaged by the camouflaging component by the relevant properties of the luminescent component. The relevant properties being camouflaged by the camouflaging component in at least two of the relevant properties by the camouflaging component having relevant properties that correspond to the respective relevant properties of the luminescent component, thereby impeding or preventing a recognition of the luminescent component.