Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) is a phenomenon related to thermoluminescence in which luminescence from a pre-irradiated material is stimulated by absorbing optical energy, rather than thermal energy. It has been used in radiation dosimetry, space dosimetry, biomedical imaging as rechargeable persistent phosphors, clinical diagnostic, food safety, security encryption, and optical data storage (ODS). To satisfy the demand of further data growth and low energy consumption storage, the optical properties of ODS recording materials could be expanded from 2D to three-dimensional (3D) space and from binary to multilevel signal via intensity-, wavelength- and polarization-multiplexing and 3D holography. In addition to expanding storage capacity, these strategies can be applied to more advanced data storage and processing such as photonic neuromorphic computing systems.

Under the current REU program, the student will first synthesize OSL metal oxides by a molten-salt synthetic method and explore their OSL properties simultaneously. More importantly, the student use X-ray diffraction techniques, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy to study their long-range and local structures, and then correlate their structure and OSL properties. Overall, the student will be trained in molten-salt synthesis and characterization of OSL metal oxides along with pertinent data analysis.