Mn(4+)-activated BaLaMgSbO(6) double-perovskite phosphor: a novel high-efficiency far-red-emitting luminescent material for indoor plant growth lighting

In the present work, novel high-efficiency Mn(4+)-activated BaLaMgSbO(6) (BLMS) far-red-emitting phosphors used for plant growth LEDs were successfully synthesized via a solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL), temperature-dependent PL, CIE color coordinates, and lifetimes as well as internal quantum efficiency (IQE) were used to characterize the phosphor samples. The excitation spectrum of the as-obtained BLMS:Mn(4+) phosphors presented two wide bands covering 250–550 nm and the emission spectrum exhibited a far-red emission band in the range of 650–800 nm peaked at 700 nm. Concentration-dependent PL properties of BLMS:Mn(4+) phosphors were studied. The optimal doping concentration of Mn(4+) ions was 0.6 mol%, and the concentration quenching mechanism was determined to be the nonradiative energy transfer among the nearest-neighbor Mn(4+) activators. Impressively, the BLMS:0.6%Mn(4+) sample showed an outstanding IQE of 83%. In addition, luminescence thermal quenching characteristics were also analyzed. Furthermore, the PL spectrum of BLMS:0.6%Mn(4+) sample was compared with the absorption spectrum of phytochrome P(FR). Finally, after combining BLMS:0.6%Mn(4+) phosphors with a 365 nm near-UV LED chip, a far-red light-emitting diode (LED) device was successfully achieved to demonstrate its possible applications in plant growth LEDs.