Space-selective control of luminescence inside the Bi-doped mesoporous silica glass by a femtosecond laser

A novel method for space-selective fabrication of an active multifunctional light source is presented here. The ultra-short laser pulse is employed to induce multiple active centers of bismuth in an interesting “tolerant” host—mesoporous silica glass—which is used to stabilize these localized unusual emission centers. The Bi2+ and multiple Bi+ centers acquired show tunable and ultra-broadband luminescence covering the region from red to near-infrared.