Fabrication and luminous properties of BaAl2O4-LuAG:Ce composite phosphor ceramics for solid-state laser lighting

Based on the “effective ionic radius match effect” and the “charge balance substitution rule of ions”, mixed Ba2+, Al3+, Lu3+, and Ce3+ ions can be effectively regulated to a BaAl2O4-LuAG:Ce biphasic structure. The contribution of BaAl2O4 like as scattering centers can reduce overall reflection losses and enhance the light extraction efficiency of these composite phosphor ceramics (CPCs). In this work, a series of x wt.% BaAl2O4-LuAG:Ce (x = 0, 3, 5, 10, 15) CPCs were fabricated by vacuum sintering using co-precipitated composite powders. Homogenization at the atomic level of mixed Ba3+, Al3+, Lu3+, and Ce3+ ions in multiphase powders provides uniform distribution of BaAl2O4 and LuAG:Ce constituent phases in composite ceramics. The introduction of BaAl2O4 has an additive effect, which also consists in uniform aggregation of pores near their grains during sintering. It allows to adjust the size and amount of microstructural defects by varying the secondary phase content. Under the excitation of 10.8 W 450 nm LDs in a reflection mode, 3 wt% BaAl2O4-based CPCs show the optimum luminous flux of 2244 lm and a luminous efficiency of 208 lm·W−1. The obtained CPCs show a high application potential in solid-state laser lighting. •Mixed Ba2+, Al3+, Lu3+, and Ce3+ ions can be effectively regulated to a BaAl2O4-LuAG:Ce biphasic structure.•BaAl2O4 acting as scattering centers can reduce overall reflection losses.•BaAl2O4 has an additive effect to adjust the size and amount of microstructural defects.•BaAl2O4-based CPCs shows luminous flux of 2244 lm and a luminous efficiency of 208 lm·W−1.