Luminescence properties of color tunable new garnet structure (Lu1-xMnx)3Al2(Al1-xSix)3O12: Ce3+ solid solution phosphors

(Lu1-xMnx)3Al2(Al1-xSix)3O12: Ce3+ solid solution phosphors were synthesized via introducing the isostructural Mn3Al2(SiO4)3 (MAS) into Lu3Al5O12: Ce3+ (LuAG). Moreover, (Lu1-xMnx)3Al2(Al1-xSix)3O12: Ce3+ (x = 0–0.2) exhibits substantial spectra broadening (83→115 nm) due to the 5d→4f transition of Ce3+ and the 4T1→6A1 transition of Mn2+, respectively. The efficiency of energy transfer (ηT, Ce3+→Mn2+) gradually increases with the rising Mn2+ content, and the value reach approximately 45% at x = 0.2. Namely, the different characteristics of luminescence evolution based on effect of structural variation substituting (MnSi)6+ pair for the larger (LuAl)6+ pair. Therefore, with the structural evolution, the luminescence of the solid solution phosphors could be tuned from green to orange-red tunable by increasing the content of MAS for the applications of general lighting.