Control of Luminescence by Tuning of Crystal Symmetry and Local Structure in Mn⁴⁺‐Activated Narrow Band Fluoride Phosphors

Abstract

Abstract Mn 4+ ‐doped fluoride phosphors have been widely used in wide‐gamut backlighting devices because of their extremely narrow emission band. Solid solutions of Na 2 (Si x Ge 1− x )F 6 :Mn 4+ and Na 2 (Ge y Ti 1−y )F 6 :Mn 4+ were successfully synthesized to elucidate the behavior of the zero‐phonon line (ZPL) in different structures. The ratio between ZPL and the highest emission intensity υ 6 phonon sideband exhibits a strong relationship with luminescent decay rate. First‐principles calculations are conducted to model the variation in the structural and electronic properties of the prepared solid solutions as a function of the composition. To compensate for the limitations of the Rietveld refinement, electron paramagnetic resonance and high‐resolution steady‐state emission spectra are used to confirm the diverse local environment for Mn 4+ in the structure. Finally, the spectral luminous efficacy of radiation (LER) is used to reveal the important role of ZPL in practical applications.