Coronene and liumogen as VUV sensitive coatings for Si CCD imagers: a comparison

Phosphor coatings have long been employed in the detection of UV radiation. With the interest in the use of silicon charge coupled device (CCD) imagers as the detector for the space telescope and other space-borne astronomical missions, a UV sensitive phosphor is desired the emission spectrum of which usefully matches the spectral response of the CCD. Such a phosphor would provide an unparalleled opportunity to image in the UV, the visible, and near IR wavelengths with the same detector. A recent study has suggested that coronene and sodium salicylate (which emit at 500 and 420 nm, respectively) are the most promising candidate phosphors. The potential of a third organic phosphor, liumogen, is the subject of this Letter.