Improved NIR luminescence in Y3-xScxGa3MgSiO12:Cr3+ phosphor via cation substitution for multifunctional spectroscopic applications

The pursuit of broadband near-infrared (NIR) phosphors with superior luminescent efficiency and thermal stability is vital for next-generation NIR light sources. Leveraging a synergistic strategy of cation substitution and Cr 3+ content modulation, a series of Y 3- x Sc x Ga 3- y MgSiO 12 : y Cr 3+ phosphors were designed, exhibiting enhanced NIR emission covering 650–1000 nm, with a broadened full-width at half maximum and a controllable redshift in emission peak. Notably, the synthesized phosphor achieves an internal quantum efficiency of 66.9% and retains 79.5% of its initial emission intensity at 423 K. When integrated with a 450 nm blue light-emitting diode (LED) chip, the resulting NIR LED delivers a high photoelectric conversion efficiency of 9.87% at 10 mA and an output power of 48.58 mW at 300 mA. These results highlight the great potential of this phosphor for multifunctional NIR applications, including bio-imaging, night vision, and nondestructive testing.