Luminescence

Luminescence is the emission of light by a substance not resulting from heat; it is thus a form of cold-body radiation. It can be caused by chemical reactions, electrical energy, subatomic motions, or stress on a crystal. This distinguishes luminescence from incandescence, which is light emitted by a substance as a result of heating.

Types of Luminescence

There are various types of luminescence, including:

• Chemiluminescence, the emission of light during a chemical reaction that does not produce significant quantities of heat.
• Electroluminescence, the emission of light from an electrical discharge in a gas.
• Photoluminescence, the emission of light when excited by visible or ultraviolet light.
• Radioluminescence, the emission of light when excited by ionizing radiation.
• Thermoluminescence, the emission of light when heated.
• Triboluminescence, the emission of light when a material is physically broken, scratched, crushed, or rubbed.

Applications

Luminescence has many practical applications, including in television screens, fluorescent lights, and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). It is also used in research to study the energy levels in various materials.

See also

• Bioluminescence
• Fluorescence
• Phosphorescence

Luminescence Resources
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