Engineering trap distribution to achieve multicolor persistent and photostimulated luminescence from ultraviolet to near-infrared II

Persistent luminescence (PersL) and photostimulated luminescence (PSL) materials exhibit fascinating optical properties originating from energy harvesting and controllable release. However, it remains challenging to obtain multicolor PersL and PSL simultaneously. Herein, we develop lanthanide (Ln3+)-doped Cs2NaGdF6 phosphors with shallow and deep defects, achieving both multicolor PersL and PSL through engineering trap distribution. Benefiting from manipulating fluorine vacancy and energy-level locations of Ln3+ in Cs2NaGdF6 phosphors by introducing different Ln3+ dopants, the depth and density of electron and hole traps can be tuned, resulting in PersL of more than one week with emissions from 311 to 1,536 nm and multicolor PSL with high recyclability. Both thermoluminescence analysis and theoretical calculations reveal the mechanism of trap distribution regulation in Cs2NaGdF6 phosphors via Ln3+ doping. These findings provide fundamental insights into exploring multicolor PersL and PSL materials, thereby opening up new opportunities for versatile applications.