Intense light emission from discharge plasma coupled with metal oxides particles

Abstract

Intense light sources hold significant scientific and technological importance owing to their broad applicability in advanced lighting, biomedical systems, and optoelectronic devices. This study investigates a phenomenon of intense white light emission resulting from the coupling of gas discharge plasma with metal oxide particles under atmospheric pressure. By placing different metal oxide particles, such as Al2O3, on the cathode and conducting discharge experiments in various gas environments, we observed that light emission is not solely driven by temperature but is also influenced by the gas type, the ionic structure of the materials, and the interaction between electrons and vacancies. The results show that molecular gases (e.g., N2, O2, and CO2) significantly enhance the light emission intensity compared to atomic gases (e.g., He and Ar), and the emission intensity of metal oxide materials is closely related to their anionic properties. The study further examines the effects of material defects, gas composition, and discharge current on the luminescent properties, and simultaneously analyzes the cathode-fall voltage to identify a mode transition, thereby proposing a preliminary mechanism based on electron–vacancy interactions. These findings provide insights for the development of high-power light sources and potential applications in photocatalysis.