An ultraviolet light emitting phosphor for mercury-free lamps is a phosphor composed of a phosphate containing at least two metal elements selected from the group consisting of group 13 elements and lanthanoid series elements, and is excited to emit ultraviolet by irradiation with vacuum ultraviolet rays or an electron beam.

A luminescent material is disclosed with emission in the near infrared wavelength range, the luminescent material including Sc.sub.1-x-yA.sub.yRE:Cr.sub.x, wherein MO=P.sub.3O.sub.9, BP.sub.3O.sub.12, SiP.sub.3O.sub.12; A=Lu, In, Yb, Tm, Y, Ga, Al, where 0≤x≤0.75, 0≤y≤0.9. A wavelength converting structure including the luminescent phosphor is also disclosed.

Provided herein are phosphors of the general molecular formula:

A.sub.3-2xEu.sub.xMP.sub.3O.sub.9N,

wherein the variables are as defined herein. Methods of producing the phosphors are also provided. In some aspects, the present disclosure provides light-emitting devices comprising these phosphors.

A luminescent material is disclosed with emission in the near infrared wavelength range, the luminescent material including Sc.sub.1-x-yA.sub.yRE:Cr.sub.x, wherein MO=P.sub.3O.sub.9, BP.sub.3O.sub.12, SiP.sub.3O.sub.12; A=Lu, In, Yb, Tm, Y, Ga, Al, where 0≤x≤0.75, 0≤y≤0.9. A wavelength converting structure including the luminescent phosphor is also disclosed.

The invention relates to a converter system, for instance for a light emitting device, comprising: a first material, which comprises, preferably essentially consists of an emitting material, emitting a color of interest, and is essentially free of sensitizer material, a second sensitizer material, which is essentially free of the first material and absorbs light (is excitable) in the wavelength range of interest and its emission spectrum overlaps at least partly with one or more excitation bands of the first material.

The invention relates to a converter system, for instance for a light emitting device, comprising: —a first material, which comprises, preferably essentially consists of an emitting material, emitting a color of interest, and is essentially free of sensitizer material, —a second sensitizer material, which is essentially free of the first material and absorbs light (is excitable) in the wavelength range of interest and its emission spectrum overlaps at least partly with one or more excitation bands of the first material.

Examples of a monolithic phosphor composite for measuring a parameter of an object are disclosed. The ceramic metal oxide phosphor composite is used in an optical device for measuring the parameter of the measuring object. The device comprises a fiber optic probe with a light guide, a light source operatively coupled to the fiber optic probe to provide excitation light into the light guide, a monolithic ceramic metal oxide phosphor composite functionally coupled to a tip of the fiber optic probe, a sensor operatively coupled to the fiber optic probe to detect the emitted light and a processing unit functionally coupled to the sensor to process the emitted light. The monolithic ceramic metal oxide phosphor composite can be embedded in a notch made into the object or can be adhered to a surface of the object with a binder. When the monolithic ceramic metal oxide phosphor composite is illuminated with the excitation light it emits light in a wavelength different from the excitation light and a change in emission intensity at a single wavelength or the change in intensity ratio of two or more wavelengths, a shift in emission wavelength peak or a decay time of the phosphor luminescence is a function of the measuring parameter.

A value document has a security marking in the form of two luminescent substances whose the emission spectra partially overlap in a primary emission range. The emission spectra have a degree of overlap of less than 80% and more than 5%, wherein the luminescent substances have different individual decay times in the primary emission range. The individual decay times of the luminescent substances differ from each other by more than 50% with reference to the shortest individual decay time.

The present invention relates to an in vitro method for detecting and/or quantifying a biological or chemical substance of interest in a liquid sample, by a capillary action test using, as probes, photoluminescent inorganic nanoparticles, of formula A.sub.1-xLn.sub.xVO.sub.4(1-y)(PO.sub.4).sub.y (II), in which Ln is selected from europium (Eu), dysprosium (Dy), samarium (Sm), neodymium (Nd), erbium (Er), ytterbium (Yb), thulium (Tm), praseodymium (Pr), holmium (Ho) and mixtures thereof; A is selected from yttrium (Y), gadolinium (Gd), lanthanum (La), lutetium (Lu), and mixtures thereof; 0<x<1; and 0≤y<1, said method employing detection of the luminescence, with an emission lifetime shorter than 100 ms, of the nanoparticles, after one-photon absorption, by excitation of the matrix at a wavelength less than or equal to 320 nm.

It also relates to a capillary action test device comprising, as probes, the aforementioned nanoparticles, as well as the use of such a method for purposes of in vitro diagnostics.

Examples of a monolithic phosphor composite for measuring a parameter of an object are disclosed. The ceramic metal oxide phosphor composite is used in an optical device for measuring the parameter of the measuring object. The device comprises a fiber optic probe with a light guide, a light source operatively coupled to the fiber optic probe to provide excitation light into the light guide, a monolithic ceramic metal oxide phosphor composite functionally coupled to a tip of the fiber optic probe, a sensor operatively coupled to the fiber optic probe to detect the emitted light and a processing unit functionally coupled to the sensor to process the emitted light. The monolithic ceramic metal oxide phosphor composite can be embedded in a notch made into the object or can be adhered to a surface of the object with a binder. When the monolithic ceramic metal oxide phosphor composite is illuminated with the excitation light it emits light in a wavelength different from the excitation light and a change in emission intensity at a single wavelength or the change in intensity ratio of two or more wavelengths, a shift in emission wavelength peak or a decay time of the phosphor luminescence is a function of the measuring parameter.