In 1996, Matsuzawa et al. reported on the extremely long-lasting afterglow of SrAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺ codoped with Dy³⁺ ions, which was more than 10-times brighter than the previously widely used ZnS:Cu,Co. Since then, research for stable and efficient persistent phosphors has continuously gained popularity. However, even today - almost 15 years after the discovery of SrAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ - the number of persistent luminescent materials is still relatively low. Furthermore, the mechanism behind this phenomenon is still unclear. Although most authors agree on the general features, such as the existence of long-lived trap levels, many details are still shrouded in mystery. In this review, we present an overview of the important classes of known persistent luminescent materials based on Eu²⁺-emission and how they were prepared, and we take a closer look at the models and mechanisms that have been suggested to explain bright afterglow in various compounds.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are on the verge of a breakthrough in general lighting, due to their rapidly improving efficiency. Currently, white LEDs with high color rendering are mainly based on wavelength conversion by one or more phosphor materials. This Review first describes how to quantify the quality of a light source, discussing the color rendering index (CRI) and alternative color quality indices. Then, six main criteria are identified and discussed, which should be fulfilled by a phosphor candidate to be considered for actual application in LEDs. These criteria deal with the shape and position of the emission and the excitation spectra, the thermal quenching behavior, the quantum efficiency, the chemical and thermal stability and finally with the occurrence of saturation effects. Based on these criteria, the most common dopant ions (broad-band emitting Eu₂₊, Ce₃₊ and Mn₂₊, line-emitting rare earth ions,…) and host compounds (garnets, sulfides, (oxy)nitrides,…) are evaluated. Although many phosphor materials have been proposed in literature in recent years, the number of phosphors effectively fulfilling all six requirements is relatively small.

Compared with fuel cells and electrochemical capacitors, dielectric capacitors are regarded as promising devices to store electrical energy for pulsed power systems due to their fast charge/discharge rates and ultrahigh power density. Dielectric materials are core components of dielectric capacitors and directly determine their performance. Over the past decade, extensive efforts have been devoted to develop high-performance dielectric materials for electrical energy storage applications and great progress has been achieved. Here, we present an overview on the current state-of-the-art lead-free bulk ceramics for electrical energy storage applications, including SrTiO₃, CaTiO₃, BaTiO₃, (Bi_0.5Na_0.5)TiO₃, (K_0.5Na_0.5)NbO₃, BiFeO₃, AgNbO₃ and NaNbO₃-based ceramics. This review starts with a brief introduction of the research background, the development history and the basic fundamentals of dielectric materials for energy storage applications as well as the universal strategies to optimize their energy storage performance. Emphases are placed on the design strategies for each type of dielectric ceramic based on their special physical properties with a summary of their respective advantages and disadvantages. Challenges along with future prospects are presented at the end of this review. This review will not only accelerate the exploration of higher performance lead-free dielectric materials, but also provides a deeper understanding of the relationship among chemical composition, physical properties and energy storage performance.

Persistent luminescence or afterglow is caused by a gradual release of charge carriers from trapping centers. The energy needed to release these charge carriers is determined by the trap depths. Knowledge of these trap depths is therefore crucial in the understanding of the persistent luminescence mechanism. Unfortunately, the trap depths in persistent phosphors are often difficult to evaluate in an accurate and reliable way. The existing analysis methods are mostly based on single experiments, or they ignore the possibility of a continuous distribution of trap depths. We present a procedure to accurately probe the activation energies, even in the presence of a continuous distribution of energy levels. By performing a series of thermoluminescence experiments with varying excitation duration and at varying excitation temperature, and employing the initial rise analysis method, the depth and shape of such a distribution can be estimated. As an example, we investigated the trap system in the violet persistent phosphor CaAl${}_{2}$O${}_{4}$:Eu,Nd, and show that it consists of a Gaussian-shaped distribution of trap depths. The maximal density of traps lies in the region around 0.9 eV, but the distribution extends to 0.7 eV on the shallow side and 1.2 eV on the deep side. The described procedure can be used to obtain a clear view of the trap system in other persistent phosphors as well. This can lead to a better understanding of the nature of these trapping centers, and the role they play in the persistent luminescent mechanism.