Dynamic color or white light phosphor converted LED illumination system

A color tunable light emitting device includes multiple light emitting components such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) or laser diodes (LDs) with substantially the same emission characteristics, and multiple phosphors materials with different excitation and emission wavelengths, each excited by one of the light emitting components. The light emitting components are powered by an electrical circuit which allows separate control of the optical power output of the different light emitting components. The light from the light emitting components is arranged to impinge and excite a corresponding phosphor material such that the phosphors are excited and emit light at their characteristic wavelengths. By separately adjusting the power to each LED/LD, the amount of light emitted by each phosphor, and hence, through color mixing, the color of the light emitted, is varied.