Ultralong afterglow and unity quantum yield from a transparent CsCdCl3:Mn crystal

Transparent afterglow crystals are keenly desired for three-dimensional information storage. Herein, CsCdCl3 perovskite crystals were grown by a programmable cooling procedure in a hydrothermal reactor. The pristine crystal showed an abnormal optical behavior where the absorption increased by 2.3 folds at high temperature, leading to a fourfold boost of photoluminescence (PL) intensity. After Mn2+ doping, the PL quantum yield was improved to nearly unity. Importantly, the doped crystals exhibited an ultralong afterglow up to 12 h after ceasing UV excitation and a high transmittance up to 75% in the visible region. This work brought a new member to the library of transparent afterglow crystal, opening up many possibilities to advanced applications such as volumetric display and three-dimensional information encryption.