High luminous flux from single crystal phosphor-converted laser-based white lighting system

A Novel PiGF@Diamond Color Converter with a Record Thermal Conductivity for Laser-Driven Projection Display

High-brightness laser lighting is confronted with crucial challenges in developing laser-excitable color converting materials with effective heat dissipation and super optical performance. Herein, a novel composite of phosphor-in-glass film on transparent diamond (PiGF@diamond) is designed and fabricated via a facile low-temperature co-sintering strategy. The as-prepared La3Si6N11:Ce3+ (LSN:Ce) PiGF@diamond with well-retained optical properties of raw phosphor shows a record thermal conductivity of ≈599 W m-1 K-1, which is about 60 times higher than that of currently well-used PiGF@sapphire (≈10 W m-1 K-1). As a consequence, this color converter can bear laser power density up to 40.24 W mm-2 and a maximum luminance flux of 5602 lm without luminescence saturation due to efficient inhibition of laser-induced heat accumulation. By further supplementing red spectral component of CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ (CASN:Eu), the PiGF@diamond based white laser diode is successfully constructed, which can yield warm white light with a high color rendering index of 89.3 and find practical LD-driven applications. The findings will pave the way for realizing the commercial application of PiGF composite in laser lighting and display.

Color Tunable Composite Phosphor Ceramics Based on SrAlSiN3:Eu2+/Lu3Al5O12:Ce3+ for High-Power and High-Color-Rendering-Index White LEDs/LDs Lighting

Lu3Al5O12:Ce3+ phosphor ceramics were fabricated by vacuum sintering. On this basis, a bi-layer composite phosphor was prepared by low-temperature sintering to cover the phosphor ceramics with a layer of SrAlSiN3:Eu2+-phosphor-in-glass (PiG). The optical, thermal, and colorimetric properties of LuAG:Ce3+ phosphor ceramics, SrAlSiN3:Eu2+ phosphors and SrAlSiN3:Eu2+-PiG were studied individually. Combining the bi-layer composite phosphors with the blue LED chip, it is found that the spectrum can be adjusted by varying the doping concentration of SrAlSiN3:Eu2+-PiG and the thickness of Lu3Al5O12:Ce3+ phosphor ceramics. The maximal color rendering index value of the white LED is 86, and the R9 is 61. Under the excitation of a laser diode, the maximum phosphor conversion efficacy of the bi-layer composite phosphors is 120 lm/W, the Ra is 83, and the correlated color temperature is 4534 K. These results show that the bi-layer composite phosphor ceramic is a candidate material to achieve high color rendering index for high brightness lighting.

High color rendering and high-luminance laser lighting using all inorganic nitride phosphor films

Despite the huge advances that have been made in the development of ultra-high luminance laser lighting, achieving high color rendering properties in such systems at the same time remains a challenge. Recent studies show that in most cases, the luminous efficacy (LE) of laser lighting is compromised to improve the color rendering index (CRI). In this study, a possible solution to this problem has been proposed by preparing phosphor-in-glass (PiG) films comprised of the yellow-emitting phosphor (LSN:Ce3+) and the red-emitting phosphor (CASN:Eu2+). The composite material synthesized in this study exhibited outstanding optical and thermal properties. A uniform white light with a high CRI of 80.0 and a high LE of 185.9 lm W-1 was achieved by optimizing the yellow/red ratio and the emission peak position of the blue laser. Furthermore, it was found that this design enabled the phosphor to restrict the light emission area effectively, thus attaining a high luminous exitance of 1302 lm mm-2. With their superior optical performance, the PiG films can be regarded as promising color converter candidates for future high-quality laser-based white light sources.

Underwater power compensated white light source based on synthetic white laser

The semiconductor white laser light source is used as a light source for underwater illumination. The required standard color temperature of white light is obtained at the underwater target surface. We studied the power compensation of a synthetic white laser source and its application to underwater illumination. First, the power ratios of the red (638 nm), green (520 nm), and blue (450 nm) lasers at a color temperature of 6500 K were obtained by using chromaticity theory. Next, the three-color and synthetic white laser parameters were obtained with transmission distance, according to the exponential attenuation characteristics of different light in clear water and seawater medium. The three-color laser power at the output was compensated, and the underwater target illumination surface reached the standard 6500 K color temperature of the white laser, improving the illumination. Finally, an experimental system for underwater white laser illumination based on power compensation was established. The errors between experimental and theoretical results of color temperature and illuminance are no more than 0.43% and 22.15%. This power-compensated synthetic white laser light source has both the advantages of long-range underwater detection and the spectral advantages of LED white light sources. The white laser light source meets specific requirements by compensating for power and optimizing white light characteristics for underwater lighting applications.

Barcode-structured YAG:Ce/YAG:Ce,Mn ceramic phosphors for variable CCT and high CRI LED/LD lighting

Ceramic phosphors are widely considered the next-generation phosphor material for white LED/LD lighting, and a wide spectrum is a key factor in improving the CRI of lighting sources. In this paper, a novel, to our knowledge, barcode-structured YAG:Ce/YAG:Ce,Mn ceramic phosphor was designed and fabricated. The lighting sources with the CRI value of 73.5 and 68.9 were obtained under the excitation of blue LEDs and blue LDs, respectively. Simultaneously, thanks to the effective supplementary emission from a red LD, the CRI of the ceramic-based lighting source reached 81.8 under blue LD excitation. Specifically, the microstructure and luminescent property of ceramic phosphors with different thicknesses and ion doping concentrations were systematically studied. Besides, by changing the blue power from 0.52 W to 2.60 W, the CCT of the laser lighting source with the encapsulation of optimized YAG:Ce/YAG:Ce,Mn ceramic phosphors ranged from 3928 K to 5895 K, while the CRI always maintained above 80. The above results indicate that barcode-structured Ce:YAG/Ce,MnYAG ceramic phosphor is a candidate to achieve a high CRI and ican be applied to various lighting occasions.

Engineering CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) Quantum Dot-Embedded Borosilicate Glass through Self-Crystallization Facilitated by NaF as a Phosphor for Full-Color Illumination and Laser-Driven Projection Displays

All inorganic perovskite (CsPbX₃, X = Cl, Br, I) quantum dot (QD) glass samples are considered the next generation of lighting materials for their excellent luminescence properties and stability, but crystallization conditions are difficult to control, which often leads to the inhomogeneous crystallinity of QDs. Here, we provided evidence that the presence of sodium fluoride induced self-crystallization of CsPbBr₃ QDs during routine glass formation without the need for additional heat treatment. We showed that NaF simultaneously affected the network structure of glass and promoted the formation of CsPbBr₃ QDs, that is, Na⁺ ions entered the glass network skeleton, partially interrupting the network structure, while the strong electronegativity of F^- ions attracted Cs⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions into the gaps formed in the glass networks that had been loosened up by Na⁺ ions, which reduced the activation energy of crystallization processes. Our results showed that NaF-induced CsPbBr₃ QDs glass had excellent thermal stability, high photoluminescence quantum efficiency (49%), and luminescent stability under high-power laser irradiation. Finally, this work also demonstrated the general applicability of this method in the making of a series of CsPbX₃ (X = Cl, Br, I) QD glass samples by NaF-induced self-crystallization, which drastically expanded the color gamut to a range of full spectrum for luminescence and laser-driven projection displays. We believe that the work presented here represents a new direction for the research and development of full-color gamut inorganic perovskite quantum dot glass samples, which could have a significant impact on the future applications of laser-driven projection displays as well.

Fabrication of phosphor in glass using waste glass for automotive lighting application

With advancement of technology, requirements for light-emitting devices are increasing. Various types of packaging technologies have been suggested to improve the performance of light-emitting diode (LED). Among them, phosphor in glass (PiG) is attracting attention due to its manufactural facility and easily tunable characteristics. As PiG draws increasing attention, research on glass materials is also being actively conducted. However, studies about glass in the field of phosphor are mainly conducted on fabrication. Only a few studies about recycling have been reported. Thus, the objective of this study was to recycle waste glass discarded in other fields due to breakage and failure and use it to fabricate phosphor in glass. Cylindrical waste glass was pulverized into powder with an average size of 12 μm, mixed with a phosphor and sintered to be reborn as a phosphor in glass to broaden the recycling route for waste glass.

Study of thermoluminescence, photoluminescence and dosimetry for the YAGG:Ce (Y2.96Al3.4Ga1.6O12:0.04Ce) phosphor

The comprehensive effect of ionizing radiation should be considered in the use and or analysis of certain electronic equipment. Fluorescent powders are widely used in electronic equipment, so they are attempted to be used as thermoluminescence (TL) dosimeter directly. Green YAGG:Ce phosphors were prepared by a high-temperature solid-state reaction method. The TL glow curves, TL dose response, TL three-dimensional (3D) spectra (80 K-800 K) and photoluminescence spectra for the phosphors were measured. The measurement results show that the luminescence peak temperature for the sample occurs at approximately 458 K and the luminescence peak temperatures in the TL 3D spectra are located at 130 K, 240 K and 458 K; there are four kinds of activation energies of traps in the material; the TL response of each component for the YAGG:Ce phosphor shows good linearity and the detection sensitivity of the phosphor is estimated to be less than 2 mGy. TL 3D spectra and PL spectra show that the luminescence from the phosphors arises from the ²D_3/2 → ²F_5/2,7/2 transition of Ce ions, and the TL 3D spectra at 130 K, 240 K and 458 K are almost the same, which proves that the temperature can hardly change the relative probability of the ²D_3/2 → ²F_5/2,7/2 transitions. The results show that YAGG:Ce could be used as dosimeter material.

Single Crystalline Films of Ce3+-Doped Y3MgxSiyAl5-x-yO12 Garnets: Crystallization, Optical, and Photocurrent Properties

This research focuses on LPE growth, and the examination of the optical and photovoltaic properties of single crystalline film (SCF) phosphors based on Ce³⁺-doped Y₃Mg_xSi_yAl_5-x-yO₁₂ garnets with Mg and Si contents in x = 0-0.345 and y = 0-0.31 ranges. The absorbance, luminescence, scintillation, and photocurrent properties of Y₃Mg_xSi_yAl_5-x-yO₁₂:Ce SCFs were examined in comparison with Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce (YAG:Ce) counterpart. Especially prepared YAG:Ce SCFs with a low (x, y < 0.1) concentration of Mg²⁺ and Mg²⁺-Si⁴⁺ codopants also showed a photocurrent that increased with rising Mg²⁺ and Si⁴⁺ concentrations. Mg²⁺ excess was systematically present in as-grown Y₃Mg_xSi_yAl_5-x-yO₁₂:Ce SCFs. The as-grown SCFs of these garnets under the excitation of α-particles had a low light yield (LY) and a fast scintillation response with a decay time in the ns range due to producing the Ce⁴⁺ ions as compensators for the Mg²⁺ excess. The Ce⁴⁺ dopant recharged to the Ce³⁺ state after SCF annealing at T > 1000 °C in a reducing atmosphere (95%N₂ + 5%H₂). Annealed SCF samples exhibited an LY of around 42% and similar scintillation decay kinetics to those of the YAG:Ce SCF counterpart. The photoluminescence studies of Y₃Mg_xSi_yAl_5-x-yO₁₂:Ce SCFs provide evidence for Ce³⁺ multicenter formation and the presence of an energy transfer between various Ce³⁺ multicenters. The Ce³⁺ multicenters possessed variable crystal field strengths in the nonequivalent dodecahedral sites of the garnet host due to the substitution of the octahedral positions by Mg²⁺ and the tetrahedral positions by Si⁴⁺. In comparison with YAG:Ce SCF, the Ce³⁺ luminescence spectra of Y₃Mg_xSi_yAl_5-x-yO₁₂:Ce SCFs greatly expanded in the red region. Using these beneficial trends of changes in the optical and photocurrent properties of Y₃Mg_xSi_yAl_5-x-yO₁₂:Ce garnets as a result of Mg²⁺ and Si⁴⁺ alloying, a new generation of SCF converters for white LEDs, photovoltaics, and scintillators could be developed.

Fabrication of LuAG:Ce3+ Ceramic Phosphors Prepared with Nanophosphors Synthesized by a Sol-Gel-Combustion Method

The aim of this study was to investigate properties of ceramic phosphors fabricated using nano Lu₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce³⁺ phosphors produced with a sol-gel-combustion method. These nano Lu₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce³⁺ phosphors had a size of about 200 nm, leading to high density when fabricated as a ceramic phosphor. We manufactured ceramic phosphors through vacuum sintering. Alumina powder was added to improve properties. We mounted the manufactured ceramic phosphor in a high-power laser beam projector and drove it to determine its optical performance. Ceramic phosphor manufactured according to our route will have a significant impact on the laser-driven lighting industry.

The Sign of Exciton-Photon Coupling in GaN-Based Triangular-like Ridge Cavity

In this paper, the behavior of exciton radiative recombination in a GaN-based triangular-like ridge cavity is studied at room-temperature. The triangular-like ridge cavity is fabricated on a standard-blue-LED epitaxial wafer grown on a sapphire substrate. Through the photoluminescence (PL) and time-resolved photoluminescence (TR-PL) measurements, a clear modulation of the original spontaneous emission is found in the microcavity, a new transition channel is observed, and the effect is angle-dependent. Furthermore, by changing the tilt angle during angle-resolution photoluminescence (AR-PL), it is found that the coupling between excitons and photons in the cavity is the strongest when tilted at 10°. By simulation, the strong localization of photons in the top of the cavity can be confirmed. The PL, TR-PL, and AR-PL results showed the sign of the exciton-photon coupling in the triangular-like ridge cavity.

Efficient transmissive remote phosphor configuration for a laser-driven high-luminance white light source

To realize laser-driven high-luminance white light sources, many reflective configurations have been studied, often resulting in a challenging optical design. In this paper it is demonstrated that the efficacy of a transmissive configuration can be significantly enhanced by using a sapphire half-ball lens as out-coupling optic. This lens not only improves efficiency, but also drastically increases the potential light output due to improved heat dissipation from the single-crystal phosphor converter. Both claims are substantiated with detailed experimental results and realistic opto-thermal simulations, showing a light output of 6550 lm and over 20000 lm, respectively and corresponding luminance of 67 MCd/m² and 209 MCd/m².

Laser regulation for variable color temperature lighting with low energy consumption by microlens arrays

The construction of a smart city puts forward new requirements for lighting systems, such as variable color temperature adapting to environment and low energy consumption. We introduce a variable color temperature laser lighting system that produces uniform light with minimum energy. The color temperature is controlled by tri-color RGB diode lasers, and uniform lighting is achieved by microlens arrays. Tri-color diode lasers with wavelengths of 650, 556, and 450 nm are used as the lighting sources, and the white light laser output is achieved by combining the three beams. The color temperature is controlled by changing the power ratio of each lighting source. Finally, the homogenization of laser energy is regulated by the microlens arrays, and the energy uniformity reaches 91.1%. Moreover, we do an experiment to compare LED street lighting and laser street lighting, finding that the street lighting system with this design can increase the energy utilization rate by 113.33%, and the color temperature of the car headlamps with this design can be changed according to the environment. Therefore, this laser lighting system is an effective solution for modern smart lighting systems and energy saving, which have vast application.

Research on Laser Illumination Based on Phosphor in Metal (PiM) by Utilizing the Boron Nitride-Coated Copper Foams

Laser-driven illumination has unique advantages in high-power applications. Taking advantage of the valuable experience of light-emitting diodes (LED) development, phosphor in silicone (PiS) is considered to be one of the most potential commercial phosphor converter solutions for laser-driven illumination. However, the thermal quenching of the PiS converter is a bottleneck problem. Herein, a boron nitride (BN)-coated copper foam strategy is introduced for the laser-driven illumination system. The phosphor/silicone is embedded in the designed BN/copper foam to form a phosphor in metal (PiM) converter. Copper foam serves as an internal connected heat transfer channel; the BN coating solves the light absorption problem of the copper foam effectively. Based on this PiM(BN/copper foam) design, the heat dissipation is effectively improved. Under high-power laser excitation (8.13 W), the PiS converter cannot reach thermal equilibrium, and therefore the temperature increases sharply up to 660 °C. In comparison, the thermal performance of an optimized PiM(BN/copper foam) converter is able to maintain excellent stability, where the maximum temperature is only 166.5 °C. The proposed PiM strategy has a maximum temperature that is 493.5 °C lower than that of the reference PiS solution. Due to the superior thermal management, the luminous efficiency of the illumination system is constantly stable at 254 lm/W, though with less phosphor mass; and the related color temperature is about 6000 K all the time. This provides a practical and feasible heat-dissipation solution for high-power laser-driven illumination.

Saturation Mechanisms in Common LED Phosphors

Commercial lighting for ambient and display applications is mostly based on blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) combined with phosphor materials that convert some of the blue light into green, yellow, orange, and red. Not many phosphor materials can offer stable output under high incident light intensities for thousands of operating hours. Even the most promising LED phosphors saturate in high-power applications, that is, they show decreased light output. The saturation behavior is often poorly understood. Here, we review three popular commercial LED phosphor materials, Y3Al5O12 doped with Ce3+, CaAlSiN3 doped with Eu2+, and K2SiF6 doped with Mn4+, and unravel their saturation mechanisms. Experiments with square-wave-modulated laser excitation reveal the dynamics of absorption and decay of the luminescent centers. By modeling these dynamics and linking them to the saturation of the phosphor output intensity, we distinguish saturation by ground-state depletion, thermal quenching, and ionization of the centers. We discuss the implications of each of these processes for LED applications. Understanding the saturation mechanisms of popular LED phosphors could lead to strategies to improve their performance and efficiency or guide the development of new materials.

Tribo-Induced Color Tuner toward Smart Lighting and Self-Powered Wireless Sensing

The color-tuning capability of solid-state lighting (SSL) systems are highly demanded for smart lighting according to the environmental conditions, as well as wireless sensing of the environmental information. In the meanwhile, state-of-the-art triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)-based sensing systems rely on bulky and expensive devices, which require cable connections and additional power consumptions. This work aims at solving these challenges, through developing a tribo-induced color tuner that can be integrated into the vastly distributed commercial SSL system. This tribo-induced color tuner includes a concentric color conversion plate consisting of (Sr,Ca)AlSiN3:Eu phosphor and TiO2, a tribo-induced liquid lens, and a rotary freestanding sliding TENG. The color oscillation between purple and pink is achieved upon the tribo-charging by the TENG, which reveals the input mechanical motion signals. The signal can be conveniently sent by everywhere-existed lamps and processed by everyone-owned smartphone cameras or closed-circuit televisions. Through this approach, the function of wireless sensing is achieved without the need of preamplification, with no additional power supply required, as demonstrated for wireless sensing of the rotation speed. The smart lighting for underwater photographing is also demonstrated by the color-tunable SSL system with the best imaging quality achieved.

Two-photon cross-section calculations for krypton in the 190-220 nm range

This paper presents multi-path, two-photon excitation cross-section calculations for krypton, using first-order perturbation theory. For evaluation of the two-photon-transition matrix element, this paper formulates the two-photon cross-section calculation as a matrix mechanics problem. From a finite basis of states, consisting of 4p, 5s, 6s, 7s, 5p, 6p, 4d, 5d, and 6d orbitals, electric dipole matrix elements are constructed, and a Green's function is expressed as a truncated, spectral expansion of solutions, satisfying the Schrödinger equation. Electric dipole matrix elements are evaluated via tabulated oscillator strengths, and where those are unavailable, quantum-defect theory is used. The relative magnitudes of two-photon cross-sections for eight krypton lines in the 190-220 nm range are compared to experimental excitation spectra with good agreement. This work provides fundamental physical understanding of the Kr atom, which adds to experimental observations of relative fluorescence intensity. This is valuable when comparing excitation schemes in different environments for krypton fluorescence experiments. We conclude that two-photon excitation at 212.556 nm is optimal for single-laser, krypton tagging velocimetry or krypton planar laser-induced fluorescence.

Phosphor-converted laser-diode-based white lighting module with high luminous flux and color rendering index

A laser-diode-based white lighting module is fabricated via spectral component optimization, which can achieve both high luminous flux and high color rendering index (CRI). In this work, the laser module is constituted by blue laser diodes (LDs) which excite YAG:Ce-Al₂O₃ and red LDs that can compensate for the lack of red spectrum to improve the CRI of the light source. To fulfill the requirements of flexibility and compactness of light source, the blue and red LDs beams are combined by optical fiber coupling. A simulation framework is employed to optimize the dominant wavelength of red LDs and the power ratio of red to blue LDs. According to the results of the integrating sphere, high luminous flux of 1102 lm and high CRI of 77.8 are achieved simultaneously, which is consistent with the simulation results. The tunable correlated color temperature (CCT) varying from 4000 K to 2800 K and high angular color uniformity (ACU) can be obtained.

YAG:Ce3+ Transparent Ceramic Phosphors Brighten the Next-Generation Laser-Driven Lighting

Y₃ Al₅ O₁₂ :Ce³⁺ (YAG:Ce³⁺ ) transparent ceramic phosphors (TCPs) are regarded as the most promising luminescent converter for laser-driven (LD) lighting. High-quality YAG:Ce³⁺ TCPs are still urgent for high efficiency LD lighting devices. YAG:Ce³⁺ TCPs in a vacuum ambience by using nano-sized raw materials are prepared. Controlling defects by adding nano-sized MgO and SiO₂ simultaneously enables a high transmittance nearly 80%. After annealing in air furthermore, the luminous efficiency is enhanced greatly from 106 to 223 lm W^-1 , which is the best result reported now for LD lighting. These results demonstrate that the optimizing YAG:Ce³⁺ TCPs in a fitting strategy will brighten once again in the next-generation LD lighting. Based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with a cathodoluminescence system, defects and Ce³⁺ distributions in grains are identified directly for the first time.

New scheme of LiDAR-embedded smart laser headlight for autonomous vehicles

A new scheme of LiDAR-embedded smart laser headlight module (LHM) for autonomous vehicles is proposed and demonstrated. The LiDAR sensor was fabricated by LeddarTech with the wavelength of 905-nm, whereas the LHM was fabricated by a highly reliable glass phosphor material that exhibited excellent thermal stability. The LHM consisted of two blue laser diodes, two blue LEDs, a yellow glass phosphor-converter layer with a copper thermal dissipation substrate, and a parabolic reflector to reflect the blue light and the yellow phosphor light combined into white light. The LHM exhibited a total output optical power of 9.5 W, a luminous flux of 4,000 lm, a relative color temperature of 4,300 K, and an efficiency of 421 lm/W. The high-beam patterns of the LHMs were measured to be 180,000 luminous intensity (cd) at 0° (center), 84,000 cd at ± 2.5°, and 29,600 cd at ± 5°, which met the ECE R112 class B regulation. The low-beam patterns also satisfied the ECE R112 class B regulation as well. Integrating the signals received from the Lidar detection and CCD image by a smart algorithm, we demonstrated the generation of smart on/off signals for controlling the laser headlights. The recognition rate of the objects was evaluated to be more than 86%. This novel LiDAR-embedded smart LHM with the unique highly reliable glass phosphor-converter layer is favorable as one of the most promising candidates for use in the next-generation high-performance autonomous vehicle applications.

Improving the opto-thermal performance of transmissive laser-based white light sources through beam shaping

Laser diodes have been proposed as a good replacement for light-emitting diodes in high-luminance white light sources. However, laser diodes typically generate very sharp temperature gradients inside the colour-converting elements (CCE) used to produce white light. This poses a thermal management problem in transmissive configurations, where most of the thermal dissipation occurs at the edges of the CCE. The hot spot in the center of the CCE typically drives the efficiency of the system down due to thermal quenching. In this work, we propose a strategy to tackle this issue that is based purely on optical manipulation. By using a free-form lens, the radiation pattern of the laser diode exciting the CCE is tailored so that its power distribution is skewed towards the periphery of the CCE: the zone with the highest thermal dissipation. With this technique, the maximum temperature inside the CCE can be significantly lower than when uniformly illuminating the CCE. Additionally, by lowering the temperature inside the CCE, this technique excites the CCE with a higher radiant flux, allowing higher luminance to be extracted from the system. These results were obtained with a realistic opto-thermal simulation framework and were then experimentally verified.

An advanced laser headlight module employing highly reliable glass phosphor

An advanced laser headlight module (LHM) employing highly reliable glass phosphor is demonstrated. The novel glass-based YAG phosphor-converter layers fabricated by low-temperature of 750°C exhibited better thermal stability. The LHM consisted of a 5 × 1 blue laser diode array, an aspherical lens, a glass phosphor-converter layer with an aluminum thermal dissipation substrate, and a dichroic filter to allow pass blue light and reflect yellow phosphor light. The 5 × 1 blue laser array was packaged with five blue lasers having optical power of 1.2 W per laser. The LHM exhibited total output optical power of 6 W, luminous flux of 1860 lm, relative color temperature of 4100 K, and efficiency of more than 310 lm/W. The high-beam patterns of the LHMs were measured to be 45,000 luminous intensity (cd) at 0°, 31,000 cd at ± 2.5°, and 12,500 cd at ± 5°, which were well satisfied the ECE R112 class B regulation. The proposed high-performance LHM with highly reliable glass-based phosphor-converter layer fabricated by low temperature is favorable as one of the promising LHM candidates for use in the next-generation automobile headlight applications.

Unique Color Converter Architecture Enabling Phosphor-in-Glass (PiG) Films Suitable for High-Power and High-Luminance Laser-Driven White Lighting

As a next-generation high-power lighting technology, laser lighting has attracted great attention in high-luminance applications. However, thermally robust and highly efficient color converters suitable for high-quality laser lighting are scarce. Despite its versatility, the phosphor-in-glass (PiG) has been seldom applied in laser lighting because of its low thermal conductivity. In this work, we develop a unique architecture in which a phosphor-in-glass (PiG) film was directly sintered on a high thermally conductive sapphire substrate coated by one-dimensional photonic crystals. The designed color converter with the composite architecture exhibits a high internal quantum efficiency close to that of the original phosphor powders and an excellent packaging efficiency up to 90%. Furthermore, the PiG film can even be survived under the 11.2 W mm^-2 blue laser excitation. Combining blue laser diodes with the YAG-PiG-on-sapphire plate, a uniform white light with a high luminance of 845 Mcd m^-2(luminous flux: 1839 lm), luminous efficacy of 210 lm W^-1, and correlated color temperature of 6504 K was obtained. A high color rendering index of 74 was attained by adding a robust orange or red phosphor layer to the architecture. These outstanding properties meet the standards of vehicle regulations, enabling the PiG films with the composite architecture to be applied in automotive lighting or other high-power and high-luminance laser lighting.

Stable, Heat-Conducting Phosphor Composites for High-Power Laser Lighting

Solid-state lighting using laser diodes is an exciting new development that requires new phosphor geometries to handle the greater light fluxes involved. The greater flux from the source results in more conversion and therefore more conversion loss in the phosphor, which generates self-heating, surpassing the stability of current encapsulation strategies used for light-emitting diodes, usually based on silicones. Here, we present a rapid method using spark plasma sintering (SPS) for preparing ceramic phosphor composites of the canonical yellow-emitting phosphor Ce-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Ce:YAG) combined with a chemically compatible and thermally stable oxide, α-Al₂O₃. SPS allows for compositional modulation, and phase fraction, microstructure, and luminescent properties of ceramic composites with varying compositions are studied here in detail. The relationship between density, thermal conductivity, and temperature rise during laser-driven phosphor conversion is elucidated, showing that only modest densities are required to mitigate thermal quenching in phosphor composites. Additionally, the scattering nature of the ceramic composites makes them ideal candidates for laser-driven white lighting in reflection mode, where Lambertian scattering of blue light offers great color uniformity, and a luminous flux >1000 lm is generated using a single commercial laser diode coupled to a single phosphor element.

Down-Conversion Nitride Materials for Solid State Lighting: Recent Advances and Perspectives

Advances in solid state white lighting technologies witness the explosive development of phosphor materials (down-conversion luminescent materials). A large amount of evidence has demonstrated the revolutionary role of the emerging nitride phosphors in producing superior white light-emitting diodes for lighting and display applications. The structural and compositional versatility together with the unique local coordination environments enable nitride materials to have compelling luminescent properties such as abundant emission colors, controllable photoluminescence spectra, high conversion efficiency, and small thermal quenching/degradation. Here, we summarize the state-of-art progress on this novel family of luminescent materials and discuss the topics of materials discovery, crystal chemistry, structure-related luminescence, temperature-dependent luminescence, and spectral tailoring. We also overview different types of nitride phosphors and their applications in solid state lighting, including general illumination, backlighting, and laser-driven lighting. Finally, the challenges and outlooks in this type of promising down-conversion materials are highlighted.

High brightness laser-driven white emitter for Etendue-limited applications

Laser-phosphor lighting has great potential because a laser diode (LD) could keep high efficiency under high current. Remote phosphor configuration has been studied, but a phosphor-covered LD has not been reported due to several difficulties. In the present work, we develop a novel laser-driven white emitter. Without remote phosphor configuration, the white emitter has a very simple structure, making it is easy for mass production and standardization. Under a continuous wave driving current of 3 A, it emits 850 lm with correlated color temperature of 6990 K. The wall-plug efficacy is 70 lm/W for the maximum. The laser-driven white emitter is very suitable for Etendue-limited applications due to its very small emitting size of 0.45  mm×0.2  mm.

Gigabit-per-second white light-based visible light communication using near-ultraviolet laser diode and red-, green-, and blue-emitting phosphors

Data communication based on white light generated using a near-ultraviolet (NUV) laser diode (LD) pumping red-, green-, and blue-emitting (RGB) phosphors was demonstrated for the first time. A III-nitride laser diode (LD) on a semipolar (2021¯)  substrate emitting at 410 nm was used for the transmitter. The measured modulation bandwidth of the LD was 1 GHz, which was limited by the avalanche photodetector. The emission from the NUV LD and the RGB phosphor combination measured a color rendering index (CRI) of 79 and correlated color temperature (CCT) of 4050 K, indicating promise of this approach for creating high quality white lighting. Using this configuration, data was successfully transmitted at a rate of more than 1 Gbps. This NUV laser-based system is expected to have lower background noise from sunlight at the LD emission wavelength than a system that uses a blue LD due to the rapid fall off in intensity of the solar spectrum in the NUV spectral region.