Broadband near-infrared (NIR) emission realized by the crystal-field engineering of Y3−xCaxAl5−xSixO12:Cr3+ (x = 0–2.0) garnet phosphors

Minqian Mao; Tianliang Zhou; Huatao Zeng; Le Wang; Fan Huang; Xueyuan Tang; Rong-Jun Xie

doi:10.1039/C9TC05775G

Broadband near-infrared (NIR) emission realized by the crystal-field engineering of Y_3−xCa_xAl_5−xSi_xO₁₂:Cr³⁺ (x = 0–2.0) garnet phosphors†

Minqian Mao,

^a Tianliang Zhou,*^a Huatao Zeng,^a Le Wang,

*^b Fan Huang,

^c Xueyuan Tang^a and Rong-Jun Xie

*^a

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a College of Materials, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
E-mail: bible2@163.com, rjxie@xmu.edu.cn

^b College of Optical and Electronic Technology, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, China
E-mail: calla@cjlu.edu.cn

^c Mathematics Application Joint Laboratory of Soochow University and Suzhou Jiaoshi Intelligence Technology Co. Ltd, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, P. R. China

Abstract

The rapid development of portable spectrometers has evoked a large demand for minimized light sources; meanwhile, NIR phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (NIR pc-LEDs) are an optimal choice due to their compactness and low cost. The phosphors used in NIR spectroscopy (NIRS) are required to have broadband emission and high quantum efficiency (QE) for a wider detection range and efficient photo-to-electricity conversion. Inspired by the structural tunability of Y₃Al₅O₁₂ (YAG), we proposed to achieve broadband emission by crystal field engineering, i.e., indirectly regulating the crystal field strength of Cr³⁺via the co-substitution of Y³⁺–Al³⁺ by Ca²⁺–Si⁴⁺ in YAG. The crystal field strength experienced on Cr³⁺ decreased as the octahedron was distorted and enlarged by the co-substitution. A broadband NIR emission with a large full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 160 nm and a high internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of ∼75.9% was realized in Y_3−xCa_xAl_5−xSi_xO₁₂:0.6% Cr (x = 1). The suitability of the investigated NIR phosphor was demonstrated by fabricating an NIR pc-LED prototype, and the detection resolution was improved by 30% compared to that of a traditional white pc-LED. These results indicate the great potential of the Y₂CaAl₄SiO₁₂:Cr phosphors for use in highly precise and sensitive NIR pc-LEDs.

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Article information

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C9TC05775G
Article type: Paper
Submitted: 22 Oct 2019
Accepted: 12 Dec 2019
First published: 12 Dec 2019

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J. Mater. Chem. C, 2020,8, 1981-1988

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Broadband near-infrared (NIR) emission realized by the crystal-field engineering of Y_3−xCa_xAl_5−xSi_xO₁₂:Cr³⁺ (x = 0–2.0) garnet phosphors

M. Mao, T. Zhou, H. Zeng, L. Wang, F. Huang, X. Tang and R. Xie, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2020, 8, 1981 DOI: 10.1039/C9TC05775G

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