Luminescence characterization and performance modulation of CaScBO₄: Eu²⁺ near-infrared phosphors for night vision lighting applications

To facilitate the development of near-infrared light sources for photovoltaic and night-vision lighting applications, it is crucial to obtain novel near-infrared emitting phosphors. Herein, a novel Eu²⁺-activated broadband near-infrared emitting phosphor CaScBO₄: Eu²⁺ is reported. Under 558 nm light excitation, CaScBO₄: Eu²⁺ exhibits broadband near-infrared emission centered at 780 nm with a full width at half maxima of 147 nm. The luminescence intensity is significantly enhanced by 7-fold through a cation modulation strategy using Ba²⁺ for Ca²⁺ substitution. The mechanism of the increase of the luminescence intensity is explained in detail by the change in the symmetric stretching force of the B-O bond before and after the substitution. Finally, the Ca_0.85Ba_0.15ScBO₄: Eu²⁺ phosphor was encapsulated in a 558 nm chip to form a phosphor-converted light-emitting diode device, and exploratory experiments were performed to explore the applications in night vision lighting. The results show that the phosphor has great potential for application in the field of night vision lighting.