Enabling low amounts of YAG:Ce3+ to convert blue into white light with plasmonic Au nanoparticles

We report a new strategy to directly attach Au nanoparticles onto YAG:Ce3+ phosphor via a chemical preparation method, which yields efficient and quality conversion of blue to yellow light in the presence of a low amount of phosphor. Photoluminescent intensity and quantum yield of YAG: Ce3+ phosphor are significantly enhanced after Au nanoparticle modification, which can be attributed to the strongly enhanced local surface electromagnetic field of Au nanoparticles on the phosphor particle surface. The CIE color coordinates shifted from the blue light (0.23, 0.23) to the white light region (0.30, 0.33) with a CCT value of 6601 K and a good white light CRI value of 78, which indicates that Au nanoparticles greatly improve the conversion efficiency of low amounts of YAG:Ce3+ in WLEDs.