Development Status of Rare Earth Luminescence Material

Rare earth luminescence materials which have garnered significant attention and advanced rapidly in fields such as general lighting, backlight display applications, information detection, photoelectric devices, modern agriculture, optical storage, and anti-counterfeiting, represent a crucial research direction within rare earth materials science. Rare earth luminescence materials encompass a diverse range, categorized into several key types: (1) High-performance phosphors, including Eu²⁺/Ce³⁺-activated nitrides and oxynitrides for full-spectrum applications—such as Y₃Al₅O₁₂: Ce³⁺ and Sr₂Si₅N₈: Eu²⁺ for lighting, and wide-gamut liquid crystal display (LCD) backlights, exemplified by β-SiAlON: Eu²⁺ green phosphors and K₂SiF₆: Mn⁴⁺ red phosphors; (2) Cr³⁺-doped garnets and gallates, which serve as leading near-infrared (NIR) phosphors for phosphor-converted LEDs (pc-LEDs), emitting in the 750–1100 nm range with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) <100 nm; (3) Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ up-conversion systems for optical sensing; (4) Eu³⁺/Tb³⁺ bulk luminescence materials for radiation detection; and (5) Ln³⁺-doped (Ln = Dy, Eu) persistent phosphors and lanthanide-complex anti-counterfeiting inks. This article highlights advancements in mechanistic investigations, as well as the current status of technical and industrial development in rare earth luminescence materials. Special focus is placed on analyzing key categories: full-spectrum lighting phosphors, wide color gamut LCD backlight phosphors, pc-LED phosphors for NIR emission, up-conversion luminescence materials, bulk luminescence materials, temperature-sensitive detection luminescence materials, Persistent luminescence (PersL) materials, anti-counterfeiting materials, and the industrial development of rare earth luminescence materials. Additionally, potential challenges and future trends in this field are discussed. Future development pathways will center on defect engineering, the discovery of novel host matrices, and sustainable manufacturing to overcome existing barriers.