Enhancing efficiency and tuning the emission band via energy transfer of Cr3+, Ce3+ co-doped CaLu2Mg2Si3O12 phosphors

Abstract

Achieving efficient and broadband near-infrared (NIR) emitting phosphors is a central challenge for advancing NIR phosphor-converted (pc) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as next-generation smart light sources for spectroscopy. Co-doping represents a well-established strategy to enhance NIR phosphor performance through tailored energy transfer. Herein, we explore a NIR phosphor achieved by co-doping Ce³⁺ into CaLu₂Mg₂Si₃O₁₂:Cr³⁺ (CLMSG:Cr³⁺) and provide a systematic investigation of its photoluminescence properties and energy transfer (ET) mechanism. Under 450 nm excitation, CLMSG:Ce³⁺,Cr³⁺ exhibits a broad NIR emission band spanning 650 to 900 nm. Owing to the efficient ET from Ce³⁺ to Cr³⁺, the Cr³⁺ emission intensity is enhanced by approximately 130%. The fabricated NIR pc-LED devices emit bright NIR radiation (33.8 mW@200 mA), demonstrating potential for application in night vision and biological imaging technologies.