Tunable Full‐Color Mechanoluminescence in Rare Earth‐Doped Transparent Amorphous Glass

Abstract

Mechanoluminescence (ML) with the unique mechanical‐to‐optical energy conversion attracts wide attention for stress sensing. However, the development of ML materials is primarily based on crystalline material due to the crystal structure can provide an appropriate crystal field environment for emission center, which limits the expansion of ML materials and affects the deeper understanding of ML mechanism. Herein, the tunable full‐color ML can be achieved in transparent amorphous glass system. The rare earth‐doped transparent amorphous glass can produce ML under stress stimulations when in direct contact with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or mixed with PDMS to prepare the ML elastomers. Based on the excellent ML performance of amorphous glass, an advanced device regarding the visualized detection of automotive brake tribo‐force has been developed. The findings provide profound insights into the triboelectric potential induced ML phenomenon, which offers the guiding significance in the mechanics‐related visualized detection and the design of multi‐color ML materials in the future.