Highly efficient white light-emitting diode by using purple light chip and yellow–green phosphor

•Highly efficient white light-emitting diode by using purple light chip and yellow–green phosphor was found.•The luminescence quantum yield is more than 50%.•The CIE coordinate do not vary with increasing of the excitation power. To explore highly efficient white light-emitting diode, a series of Mn2+-doped borophosphate glasses were prepared. Under 402 nm excitation, the borophosphate glass doped with 6 mol% Mn2+ ion can emit the strong yellow–green luminescence (peak at 567 nm). Thus, white light can be obtained by combining the violet radiation light (~402 nm) with yellow–green luminescence (~567 nm), whose CIE coordinate is (x = 0.342, y = 0.338), and whose luminescence quantum yield is more than 50% dependent on the excitation power. And the CIE coordinate do not vary with increasing of the excitation power. The excellently optical characters of the material are helpful for white light-emitting diode (White LED).