Ultraviolet light charged and self-powered mechanoluminescence of KMgF3: Tb3+ glass ceramics in various media

The light waveguiding effect of transparent glass ceramics (GCs) on mechanoluminescence (ML) signals is highly attractive for remote stress sensing and structural health monitoring applications. However, a prerequisite for generating ML in GCs is pre-irradiation with high-energy rays, which not only increases application costs but also poses a risk of GCs devitrification. Herein, we propose a safe, non-destructive, and convenient charging method for the ML of KMgF 3 : Tb 3+ GCs, namely ultraviolet (UV) light charging. By effectively filling the intrinsic defects in KMgF 3 : Tb 3+ nanocrystal using UV light, we achieved trap-controlled ML in rigid GCs. Moreover, this ML is attributed to thermoluminescence (TL) induced by frictional heating during mechanical stimulation. Additionally, when the GCs powder is combined with flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a self-powered (without any pre-charging) ML induced by interfacial triboelectricity can also be achieved, which is similar to the results observed in most flexible ML systems. This work proposes a more straightforward and safer approach for applications such as mechanical sensing based on the ML of transparent GCs.