IR Visible Phosphors

Phosphors are an easy-to-identify option for quality-control issues or low-level security applications.

What are IR Visible Phosphors?

Up-converting phosphors are microscopic ceramic particles that provide a color response when excited by 980 nm invisible light. When these up-converting particles are illuminated with an infrared light, they emit a colored light that is visible to the human eye. This is also known as an anti-stokes shift.

Customize with your choice of color

With a variety of colors to choose from—including red, yellow, green, blue, purple and white—IR phosphor from Microtrace can be delivered as a powder, plastic masterbatch, yarn or in a label. It’s commonly used for consumer packaging, clothing tags and incorporation in bulk materials because it’s easy to use, inexpensive and provides a visible response.

Consider a complete security solution

These up-converting phosphors represent the lowest level of security that Microtrace offers and don’t provide total security—but sometimes they are enough. Others often position IR Visible Phosphors as a security solution, however, it’s a widely available material, which can make it easy to source or duplicate.

At Microtrace, taggants are uniquely encoded materials or chemistries that are virtually impossible to duplicate. Up-converting phosphors can be added to Microtaggants for a multi-level security solution. Microtrace has a range of phosphor solutions and can help you implement any degree of security, over time, as your needs change.

Microtrace does not recommend up-converting phosphor as a standalone security solution. We offer two more secure options for phosphors you can implement independently:

BASIC PHOSPHOR SYSTEM
ENHANCED PHOSPHORS

For more sophisticated security needs, learn more about phosphor-based consultative engagements with Microtrace.

ADVANCED PHOSPHOR SYSTEM