Ultrawide-band near-infrared light source over 1 mW by Sm3+,Pr3+-codoped glass phosphor combined with LED

We have synthesized 0.3Sm 2 O 3 –0.12Pr 2 O 3 –10Bi 2 O 3 –45Sb 2 O 3 –45B 2 O 3 glass as an ultrawide-band near-infrared phosphor for LED-based light sources. We have achieved an ultrawide-band luminescence from 760 to 1100 nm with an output power of over 1 mW by combining a blue LED with Sm 3+ ,Pr 3+ -codoped borate glass in one package. Absorption bands corresponding to C–H and O–H stretchings in aqueous solutions of glucose have been observed using this light source and a multichannel spectrometer. These results indicate that the Sm 3+ ,Pr 3+ -codoped borate glass combined with the blue LED is a useful novel light source for absorption spectrometry.