Chemical unit co-substitution enabling broadband and tunable near-infrared emission in garnet-type Lu₃Sc₂Ga₃O₁₂:Cr³⁺ phosphors

Abstract

Although near-infrared phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (NIR pc-LEDs) are desired for non-visible light source applications, the design of broadband NIR phosphors remains a challenge. Inspired by the chemical unit co-substitution strategy for the modification of composition and local structure, we realize a tunable redshift emission from 706 to 765 nm in garnet-type Lu₃Sc₂Ga₃O₁₂:Cr³⁺ with a broadened full width at half maximum and enhanced photoluminescence intensity by introducing a [Mg²⁺-Si⁴⁺] unit into the [Sc³⁺-Ga³⁺] couple. Structural and spectral analyzes demonstrate that the co-substitution reduces the local symmetry and crystal field strength of the [CrO₆] octahedra, thus leading to inhomogeneous widening of the ⁴T₂→⁴A₂ emission and enhanced blue absorption. Furthermore, the ⁴T₂→⁴A₂ emission exhibits a phonon-assisted character at low temperatures due to the thermal coupling effect with the ²E level. The fabricated NIR pc-LED based on the optimized NIR phosphor exhibits excellent potential in night vision and imaging applications.

Keywords

Near-infrared (NIR) / garnet structure / Cr³⁺-doped phosphor / co-substitution

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