We investigated the photoluminescence properties of Eu,Mg-codoped GaN grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy. Some emission due to intra-4f shell transition of 5D0-7F2 in Eu3+ ions in a center with Eu and Mg was observed together with typical Eu emission. The peak intensity of the Eu-Mg emission was about five times higher than that of the typical Eu emission. The Eu-Mg emission exhibited a maximum at around 180 K, while the typical Eu emission intensity decreased monotonically with increasing temperature. It was found that only one type of Eu-Mg center contributed to the enhanced intensity up to 180 K.

We report a study on the Eu luminescence properties of Eu-doped GaN grown on a GaN substrate by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy. The site-selective excitation of Eu ions revealed the concentration of each luminescent site using the luminescence properties under resonant excitation. The quantitative evaluation of the Eu luminescent sites showed that more than 80% of Eu ions are incorporated into a high-symmetry site. However, the photoluminescence spectrum under indirect excitation is markedly different from that under resonant excitation, which indicates that the luminescent site with high symmetry exhibits low-efficiency energy transfer from the GaN host to the luminescent site.

The detrimental influence of oxygen on the performance and reliability of V/III nitride based devices is well known. However, the influence of oxygen on the nature of the incorporation of other co-dopants, such as rare earth ions, has been largely overlooked in GaN. Here, we report the first comprehensive study of the critical role that oxygen has on Eu in GaN, as well as atomic scale observation of diffusion and local concentration of both atoms in the crystal lattice. We find that oxygen plays an integral role in the location, stability, and local defect structure around the Eu ions that were doped into the GaN host. Although the availability of oxygen is essential for these properties, it renders the material incompatible with GaN-based devices. However, the utilization of the normally occurring oxygen in GaN is promoted through structural manipulation, reducing its concentration by 2 orders of magnitude, while maintaining both the material quality and the favorable optical properties of the Eu ions. These findings open the way for full integration of RE dopants for optoelectronic functionalities in the existing GaN platform.

Aim: Ursolic acid (UA) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid found in most plant species, which has been shown anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities. In this study, we examined the effects of UA on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice, and to identify the mechanisms underlying the effects. Methods: CIA was induced in mice. Two weeks later, the mice were treated with UA (150 mg/kg, ip, 3 times per week) for 4 weeks. The expression of cytokines and oxidative stress markers in joint tissues was measured with immunohistochemistry. The numbers of CD4 + IL-17 + , CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3 + and pSTAT3 cells in spleens were determined using confocal immunostaining or flowcytometric analyses. Serum antibody levels and B cell-associated marker mRNAs were analyzed with ELISAs and qRT-PCR, respectively. CD4 + T cells and CD19 + B cells were purified from mice spleens for in vitro studies. Results: UA treatment significantly reduced the incidence and severity of CIA-induced arthritis, accompanied by decreased expression of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-21 and IL-17) and oxidative stress markers (nitrotyrosine and iNOS) in arthritic joints. In CIA mice, UA treatment significantly decreased the number of Th17 cells, while increased the number of Treg cells in the spleens, which was consistent with decreased expression of pSTAT3, along with IL-17 and RORγt in the splenocytes. In addition, UA treatment significantly reduced the serum CII-specific IgG levels in CIA mice. The inhibitory effects of UA on Th17 cells were confirmed in an in vitro model of Th17 differentiation. Furthermore, UA dose-dependently suppressed the expression of B cell-associated markers Bcl-6, Blimp1 and AID mRNAs in purified CD19 + B cells pretreated with IL-21 or LPS in vitro. Conclusion: UA treatment significantly ameliorates CIA in mice via suppression of Th17 and differentiation. By targeting pathogenic Th17 cells and autoantibody production, UA may be useful for the treatment of autoimmune arthritis and other Th17-related diseases.

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We demonstrate the use of hydrogen induced changes in the emission of isoelectric Eu ions, in Mg-doped p-type GaN, as a powerful probe to study the dynamics of hydrogen movement under electron beam irradiation. We identify, experimentally, a two-step process in the dissociation of Mg-H complexes and propose, based on density functional theory, that the presence of minority carriers and resulting charge states of the hydrogen drives this process. OCIS codes: (310.3840) Materials and process characterization; (310.6188) Spectral properties; (310.6845) Thin film devices and applications; (160.5690) Rare-earth-doped material;

The effects of thermal annealing on Eu,Mg-codoped GaN (GaN:Eu,Mg) grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy were investigated. After annealing in nitrogen ambient, Eu-Mg related photoluminescence emission was quenched to 13% without a change in the spectral shape. The quenched emission recovered to 65% of the original intensity after a subsequent annealing in ammonia ambient. Combined excitation emission spectroscopy and time-resolved photoluminescence results revealed that the quenching behavior is attributed to a nonradiative process induced by unpassivated Mg acceptors in the relaxation of excited 4f electrons of Eu ions.

The effects of Mg and Si codoping on Eu luminescence properties have been investigated in Eu-doped GaN (GaN:Eu). The Mg codoping into GaN:Eu produced novel luminescence centers consisting of Eu and Mg, and increased photoluminescence (PL) intensity in Eu,Mg-codoped GaN (GaN:Eu,Mg). However, this increased PL intensity was quenched by thermal annealing in N2 ambient, which is due to activation of Mg acceptors. In GaN:Eu,Mg codoped additionally with Si (GaN:Eu,Mg,Si), on the other hand, the Eu–Mg centers disappeared, while an additional luminescence center appeared. Furthermore, the additional luminescence center showed no quenching under N2 annealing because Si donors compensated for the Mg acceptors in GaN. Thermal quenching of the luminescence center was also approximately half of that in GaN:Eu. These results indicate that the codoping with additional impurities in GaN:Eu is a powerful technique to control Eu luminescence centers for realization of improved device performance in red light-emitting diodes using GaN:Eu.