Broadband deep-red-to-near-infrared emission from Mn2+ in strong crystal-field of nitride MgAlSiN3

Broadband near-infrared (NIR) phosphors have received increasing attention for fabricating phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (pc-LEDs) as NIR light source. Most of the reported broadband NIR phosphors originate from Cr³⁺ in weak crystal field environments. Herein, we report a luminescent material, MgAlSiN₃:Mn²⁺ with CaAlSiN₃-type structure, demonstrating that broadband deep-red-to-NIR emission can be achieved via doping Mn²⁺ into crystallographic sites with strong crystal field in inorganic solids. This phosphor is synthesized via easy-handle solid-state reaction, and the optimized sample, (Mg_0.93Mn_0.07) AlSiN₃ shows an emission band with peak at ~754 nm, FWHM of 150 nm, and internal quantum efficiency of 70.1%. The photoluminescence intensity can further be enhanced by co-doping Eu²⁺ as sensitizer. This work provides a new strategy for discovering new broadband NIR phosphors using Mn²⁺ in strong crystal field as luminescence center.