Accessing High-Power Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Using Cr3+-Substituted Metal Phosphate Phosphors

Near-infrared (NIR) phosphor-converted light-emitting diode (pc-LED) technology has attracted considerable interest as a next-generation light source for emerging NIR spectroscopic applications. However, discovering efficient broadband NIR phosphors necessary to access the desired long-wavelength (λ em ≥ 800 nm) energy window remains a challenge. Here, a new phosphate phosphor, KGaP 2 O 7:Cr 3+, emerged from a fundamental study of the AMP 2 O 7 (A = Li, Na, K; M = Al, Ga, Sc, In) family. This material combines all of the requisite properties for the efficient generation of NIR photons, including limited defect formation, minimal electron–phonon coupling, a subtle octahedral site distortion, and well-separated transition metal substitution sites. Photoluminescence spectroscopy indicates that this material emits from 700 to 1100 nm (λ max = 815 nm) with a full width at half-maximum (fwhm) of 127 nm or 1874 cm –1 . Exciting the material with a blue LED reveals a quantum yield of 74.4% with an absorption efficiency of 44.8%, resulting in an excellent external quantum efficiency as high as 33.3% from the as-prepared sample. A prototype NIR pc-LED device generated an output power of 473.8 mW and a high photoelectric conversion efficiency (10.7% under 500 mA), demonstrating the potential of applying this phosphor in blue LED-based NIR spectroscopy.