Mastering lanthanide energy states for next-gen photonic innovation

Abstract

Lanthanide-based photonic materials have been extensively explored for use in laser crystals, lighting, fiber-optic communications, bioimaging, diagnostics, and many other fields. In recent years, they have enabled numerous breakthroughs in areas such as single-particle spectroscopy, super-resolution imaging, micro-lasing, lifetime multiplexing, and detection. Here, we summarize recent advances in lanthanide photonic materials from an energy state perspective, focusing on the interplay between energy state manipulation and advanced photonic applications. We then discuss the challenges and prospects for controlling energy states at the single-particle level. We wish to highlight the importance of quantifying and understanding the energy states of lanthanides for future innovations. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]