{
  "abstract": "Fluorescence blinking, often regarded as a limitation for stable emitters, can enable super-resolution localization microscopy and serve as a versatile reporter of the photophysical states of quantum emitters and their interactions with local environment. However, conventional blinking emitters are typically single quantum systems with Stokes-shifted fluorescence, making them susceptible to autofluorescence background, weak signal, and irreversible photodegradation under prolonged excitation. In contrast, single lanthanide-doped upconversion nanocrystals are effectively background-free anti-Stokes emitters and demonstrate robust resistance to photodegradation, yet they are generally considered non-blinking owing to the presence of a large ensemble of uncorrelated emitting lanthanide ions within a single nanocrystal. Here we report the discovery and control of collective blinking in the upconversion luminescence of thousands of lanthanide ions within a single nanocrystal. The blinking exhibits on-off intensity ratio exceeding 10, persists for over 15 hours (over 10,000 cycles) without discernible photodegradation, and can be reversibly controlled by adjusting the excitation power. We elucidate a universal, activator-independent upconversion blinking mechanism, whereby a single quencher, stochastically generated via a cooperative multi-ion process, can intercept delocalized excitation energy within the Yb3+ sensitizer network and darken the whole nanocrystal. Benefiting from the high-contrast, long-term photostable blinking and background-free emission, we achieve robust super-resolution localization microscopy that resolves individual nanocrystals in aggregates with 1.2 nm precision. This work establishes a general strategy to realize and control collective blinking in photostable multi-emitter nanosystems, opening new opportunities in nanoscience, bioimaging, and quantum technologies.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "Journal reference: PhotoniX 7, 63 (2026)",
  "arxiv": "2608.16244",
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Tianzi Ma"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dingxin Huang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Yongjun Meng"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jianwei Tang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Feng Li"
    },
    {
      "name": "Yihao Yu"
    },
    {
      "name": "Xiaorong Zhang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Guanying Chen"
    },
    {
      "name": "Xue-Wen Chen"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/903d2vzgafwmf.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2608.16244",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "903d2vzgafwmf",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.16244",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "LicenseRef-arXiv-nonexclusive-1.0",
  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "physics.optics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2608.16244",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-08-17",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/903d2vzgafwmf.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:29:31Z",
      "native_id": "2608.16244",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.16244"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.optics",
      "subfield": "optics-photonics"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Collective Blinking of Upconversion Emission in Lanthanide-doped Nanocrystals",
  "title_text": "Collective Blinking of Upconversion Emission in Lanthanide-doped Nanocrystals",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:29:31Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/903d2vzgafwmf",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": [
    {
      "doi": "10.1186/s43074-026-00287-7",
      "pid": null,
      "relation": "published-as",
      "title": null,
      "venue": null
    }
  ]
}