Realization of Broadband Near-Infrared Emission with High Thermal Stability in YGa3(BO3)4: Cr3+ Borate Phosphor

As a key material for phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (pc-LEDs) applications, broadband near-infrared (NIR) phosphors currently face poor thermal stability issues. In this work, we synthesized a broadband near-infrared phosphor YGa3(BO3)4: Cr3+ (YGBO: Cr3+) with a high thermal stability. The YGBO: Cr3+ sample exhibits a broadband near-infrared emission centered at 770 nm with a full width at half-maximum (fwhm) of 2130 cm–1 under blue light excitation. Benefiting from the borate host crystal’s strong structural rigidity, wide optical band gap, and weak electron–phonon coupling strength, YGBO: Cr3+ demonstrates strong luminescence thermal stability, and the corresponding luminescence intensity can maintain 80% at 150 °C compared to room temperature. Furthermore, we fabricated a pc-LED device using a blue light chip and YGBO: Cr3+ phosphor, and confirmed its application potential as a near-infrared light source in the spectral analysis of fruit freshness.