This book introduces researchers to the field of luminescence and its applications. It is the only introductory text available. The readership will be postgraduate students in Solid State Science and industrial researchers who are starting work in the field.

1 A General Introduction to Luminescent Materials.- 2 How Does a Luminescent Material Absorb Its Excitation Energy?.- 2.1 General Considerations.- 2.2 The Influence of the Host Lattice.- 2.3 The Energy Level Diagrams of Individual Ions.- 2.4 Host Lattice Absorption.- 3 Radiative Return to the Ground State: Emission.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 General Discussion of Emission from a Luminescent Center.- 3.3 Some Special Classes of Luminescent Centers.- 3.4 Afterglow.- 3.5 Thermoluminescence.- 3.6. Stimulated emission.- 4 Nonradiative Transitions.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Nonradiative Transitions in an Isolated Luminescent Centre.- 4.3 Efficiency.- 4.4 Maximum Efficiency for High Energy Excitation [13].- 4.5 Photoionization and Electron-Transfer Quenching.- 4.6 Nonradiative Transitions in Semiconductors.- 5 Energy Transfer.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Energy Transfer Between Unlike Luminescent Centers.- 5.3 Energy Transfer Between Identical Luminescent Centers.- 5.4 Energy Transfer in Semiconductors.- 6 Lamp Phosphors.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Luminescent Lighting [1-3].- 6.3 The Preparation of Lamp Phosphors.- 6.4 Photoluminescent Materials.- 6.5 Outlook.- 7 Cathode-Ray Phosphors.- 7.1 Cathode-Ray Tubes: Principles and Display.- 7.2 Preparation of Cathode-Ray Phosphors.- 7.3 Cathode-Ray Phosphors.- 7.4 Outlook.- 8 X-Ray Phosphors and Scintillators (Integrating Techniques).- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 Preparation of X-ray Phosphors.- 8.3 Materials.- 8.4 Outlook.- 9 X-Ray Phosphors and Scintillators (Counting Techniques).- 9.1 Introduction.- 9.2 The Interaction of Ionizing Radiation with Condensed Matter.- 9.3 Applications of Scintillator Crystals.- 9.4 Material Preparation (Crystal Growth).- 9.5 Scintillator Materials.- 9.6 Outlook.- 10 Other Applications.- 10.1 Upconversion:Processes and Materials.- 10.2 The Luminescent Ion as a Probe.- 10.3 Luminescence Immuno-Assay.- 10.4 Electroluminescence.- 10.5 Amplifiers and Lasers with Optical Fibers.- 10.6 Luminescence of Very Small Particles.- Appendix 1. The Luminescence Literature.- Appendix 2. From Wavelength to Wavenumber and Some Other Conversions.- Appendix 3. Luminescence, Fluorescence, Phosphoresence.- Appendix 4. Plotting Emission Spectra.