An intense elastico-mechanoluminescence material CaZnOS:Mn2+ for sensing and imaging multiple mechanical stresses

The elastico-mechanoluminescence (EML) properties of CaZnOS:Mn2+ are investigated. The CaZnOS:Mn2+/epoxy resin composite can simultaneously feel (sense) and see (image) various types of mechanical stress over a wide energy and frequency range (ultrasonic vibration, impact, friction and compression) as an intense red emission (610 nm) from Mn2+ ions. Further, the accurate linear relation between emission intensity and different stress parameters (intensity, energy and deformation rate) are confirmed. The EML mechanism is explained using a piezoelectrically induced trapped carrier excitation mode. All the results imply that CaZnOS:Mn2+ has potential as a stress probe to sense and image multiple mechanical stresses and decipher the stress intensity distribution. (C) 2013 Optical Society of America