Multiple local site Cr3+emission leading to broadband NIR light in novel SrGa2O4 phosphors

Demand for novel near infrared (NIR) emitting phosphors due to their potential applications in various fields led to exploring different systems for broadband NIR emission. Here, we report synthesis of novel Cr3+ activated SrGa2O4 via solid state reactions which depicted NIR in the range of 670–1100 nm with FWHM∼170 nm. The maximum NIR intensity was obtained for 5 % doping having less number of vacancy clusters. The broadband NIR emission is due to doping of Cr3+ at multiple sites in SrGa2O4, namely, two different Sr octahedra and Ga tetrahedral sites with weak crystal field splitting. The results indicate that Cr3+doping in simple hosts with multiple doping sites with weak crystal field splitting could be used to get broad NIR emission in Cr3+ doped samples. This work would help in further tuning the NIR emission with careful choice of hosts with varying doping sites and offering different crystal field strengths.