Ca3Sc2Si3O12:Ce3+, Mn2+ phosphor ceramic: A promising color converter for full-color laser lighting

Phosphor ceramics are considered to be promising color converters for high-brightness laser lighting. However, current laser lighting usually suffers from a poor color rendering index (Ra similar to 70) when using a single-structured phosphor ceramic, due to the deficiencies in the cyan-green and red components of the luminescence spectra. In this study, a series of Ca3Sc2Si3O12:Ce3+, Mn2+ (CSS:Ce3+, Mn2+) phosphor ceramics were prepared for the first time using a solid-state reaction method. Based on the efficient energy transfer from Ce3+ to Mn2+ (with an energy transfer efficiency of similar to 33.3%), these ceramics exhibit three distinct emission peaks appearing at 505, 580, and 680 nm, covering the cyan-green, yellow, and deep red-light regions, respectively. Additionally, the ceramics display excellent thermal stability, with a thermal quenching temperature (T0.5) exceeding 160 degrees C. Finally, a laser lighting source was constructed by combining the CSS:Ce3+, Mn2+ ceramic with a blue laser diode. By optimizing the Mn2+ concentration, a tunable color from cyan-green to white was achieved, and the resulting Ra and luminous efficacy of the white light were 86 and 65 lm/W, respectively. These results demonstrate that the CSS:Ce3+, Mn2+ phosphor ceramic is an excellent color converter for full-color laser lighting.