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 ∼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 ∼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°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.