New Glow-in-the-Dark Material Charges In One Minute, Glows Infrared for Two Weeks
IR UGA Physics professor Zhengwei Pan and postdoctoral researcher Feng Liu stand in a darkened room, using their recently invented ceramic discs that emit near-infrared light as a source of illumination. Their phosphorescent material also was mixed into the paint that was used to create the UGA logo behind them. Without the aid of a night vision device, the image would be completely dark. Zhengwei Pan/UGA Glow-in-the-dark devices, which emit visible light after exposure to sunlight, are as commonplace as a wristwatch. But these are not that great when you want to see and not be seen - say you're a special ops soldier checking the time while tracking an enemy. In that situation, a glow-in-the-night-vision device would be far more effective. Now scientists at the University of Georgia have invented just such a device - a new material that emits a long-lasting infrared glow after a single minute of exposure...