Provided is a dye-sensitized upconversion nanophosphor including a core, a first shell surrounding at least part of the core, and an organic dye bonded to a surface of the nanophosphor which has an absorption band ranging from 650 nm to 850 nm and which is excited in a near-infrared region to emit visible light. The dye-sensitized upconversion nanophosphor may be included in a display apparatus, a fluorescent contrast agent, or an anti-counterfeiting code. The organic dye may be an IR-808 dye.

Inorganic halides (e.g., inorganic halide scintillators) of the general formula A.sub.3B.sub.2X.sub.9, including inorganic halides comprising thallium monovalent cations and/or combinations of different halides, are described. Radiation detectors including the inorganic halide scintillators and methods of using the detectors to detect high energy radiation are also described. In some cases, the scintillators can include a gadolinium cation, a boron cation, a lithium cation, a chloride ion, or combinations thereof and the scintillator can be used to detect neutrons.

Disclosed is a novel composition of matter that provides highly efficient energy conversion from NIR to NIR wavelengths, with either up-, down-, or both up- and down-converting transitions. Disclosed is a composition having the molecular formula NaYF.sub.4:Yb.sub.xTm.sub.yNd.sub.z, where 0≤x≤0.98, 0≤y≤0.02, and 0≤z≤0.06. Also disclosed is a core-shell structure, wherein the core is a composition having the molecular formula NaYF.sub.4:Yb.sub.xTm.sub.yNd.sub.z, where 0≤x≤0.98, 0≤y≤0.02, and 0≤z≤0.06, and the shell is composition having the molecular formula NaYF.sub.4:Nd.sub.w, where 0≤w≤0.1.

An optical bio-sensing device includes a transparent substrate covering a top of a space accommodating therein a sample containing a target bio-material; a signal converter fixed to the transparent substrate, and including the upconversion nanoparticles for receiving incident light and emitting converted light of a wavelength shorter than a wavelength of the incident light; a signal reflector including retroreflection particles bindable to the signal converter via the target bio-material, wherein the retroreflection particles retroreflect the converted light; a light source for irradiating the incident light to the signal converter; and a light receiver for receiving light retroreflected from the signal reflector.

The embodiments provide a radiation detection material emitting fluorescence with high intensity and short lifetime, and also provide a radiation detection device. The polycrystalline radiation detection material of the embodiment is represented by the following formula (1)

TlM.sub.1-x-yR.sub.xX.sub.3-z  (1).

In the formula, M is at least one metal element selected form the group consisting of Ca, Sr, Ba and Mg; R is at least one luminescence center element selected form the group consisting of Ce, Pr, Yb and Nd; X is at least one halogen element selected form the group consisting of Cl, Br and F; and x, y and z are numbers satisfying the conditions of 0≤x≤0.5, −0.1≤y≤0.1, and −0.5≤z≤1, respectively.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a composition comprising at least three layers. Layers one and two each either comprises a sensitizer or an emitter, typically a metal ion or a dye, and the third layer may or may not comprise a sensitizer or emitter. Upon exposure to light, such as infrared light, the composition produces visible and/or UV light. The composition may further comprise a capping moiety, a therapeutic agent, an uptake enhancer, a detection moiety that binds to a desired target, a quenching moiety, or a combination thereof. The composition may be a particle, such as a nanoparticle, or it may be a planar composition. Also disclosed are embodiments of a method for using the composition, including, but not limited to, a method for delivering a therapeutic agent, or a method for detecting a target, such as a biological target.

Fluorescent nanoparticle compositions and methods of used for dental bonded restorations are provided herein.

A scintillation crystal can include Ln.sub.(1-y)RE.sub.yX.sub.3, wherein Ln represents a rare earth element, RE represents a different rare earth element, y has a value in a range of 0 to 1, and X represents a halogen. In an embodiment, RE is Ce, and the scintillation crystal is doped with Sr, Ba, or a mixture thereof at a concentration of at least approximately 0.0002 wt. %. In another embodiment, the scintillation crystal can have unexpectedly improved linearity and unexpectedly improved energy resolution properties. In a further embodiment, a radiation detection system can include the scintillation crystal, a photosensor, and an electronics device. Such a radiation detection system can be useful in a variety of radiation imaging applications.

A lanthanoid-containing inorganic material fine particle having a function of converting a wavelength of light to a shorter wavelength, the lanthanoid-containing inorganic material fine particle including: a core particle; and a shell layer, the core particle containing a lanthanoid having a light-absorbing function and a lanthanoid having a light-emitting function, the shell layer including at least an outer shell containing a rare earth element, the total amount of the lanthanoid having a light-absorbing function and the lanthanoid having a light-emitting function in the outer shell being 2 mol % or less based on the amount of the rare earth element contained in the outer shell, the outer shell having a thickness of 2 to 20 nm, the core particle and the shell layer having no interface at a contact face to form a continuous body.

A reflective liquid crystal display panel includes an array substrate, an opposite substrate, a liquid crystal layer, an absorptive polarizer, a plurality of pixel electrodes, a reflective polarized structure, and a plurality of light conversion structures. the absorptive polarizer is located at a surface of the liquid crystal layer away from the array substrate, and the absorptive polarizer has a light transmission axis; the reflective polarized structure has a light reflection axis, and the light reflection axis and the light transmission axis are parallel or perpendicular to each other; the plurality of light conversion structures are located at a surface of the reflective polarized structure facing away from pixel electrodes, the light conversion structure is in one-to-one correspondence with the pixel electrode, and the light conversion structure is configured to convert incident light into light of a color corresponding to a pixel unit in which the pixel electrode is located.