Full spectrum white light emitting devices

1. A light emitting device comprising:

a broadband solid-state excitation source that generates broadband excitation light; and

at least one photoluminescence material which converts at least a portion of the broadband excitation light to light with a peak emission wavelength from 490 nm to 670 nm,

wherein the device generates light with a spectrum whose intensity over a wavelength range from 430 nm to 520 nm has a maximum percentage deviation from the intensity of light of a black-body or CIE Standard Illuminant D of less than 50%.

2. The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein said maximum percentage deviation is less than at least one of 40%, 30%, 20% and 10%.

3. The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the broadband excitation light has a dominant wavelength from 420 nm to 480 nm.

4. The light emitting device of claim 3 , wherein the broadband excitation light has a FWHM from 25 nm to 50 nm.

5. The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the broadband excitation light comprises a combination of at least two different wavelength light emissions in a wavelength range from 420 nm to 480 nm.

6. The light emitting device of claim 5 , wherein the at least two different wavelength light emissions differ in wavelength one another by at least 10 nm.

7. The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the broadband solid-state excitation source comprises at least two narrowband LEDs that generate different wavelength narrowband light emissions with a dominant wavelength from 420 nm to 480 nm.

8. The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the broadband solid-state excitation source comprises an LED comprising multiple different quantum wells that generate different wavelength narrowband light emissions with a dominant wavelength from 420 nm to 480 nm.

9. The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein light generated by the device has a Circadian Action Factor that is within at least one of: 5%, 4%, 2%, 1%, and 0.5% of the black-body or CIE Standard Illuminant D.

10. The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the device has a luminous efficacy from 104 lm/W to 152 lm/W.

11. A light emitting device comprising:

a broadband solid-state excitation source that generates broadband excitation light; and

at least one photoluminescence material which converts at least a portion of the broadband excitation light to light with a peak emission wavelength from 490 nm to 670 nm,

wherein the device generates light with a CRI R9 of less than 90 and a spectrum having an intensity that decreases from its maximum value in a wavelength range from about 570 nm to about 620 nm to about 50% of said maximum value at a wavelength in a range from about 625 nm to about 695 nm.

12. The light emitting device of claim 11 , wherein light generated by the device has a CRI Ra of at least 80 and the intensity decreases to about 50% of said maximum value at a wavelength from about 625 nm to about 665 nm.

13. The light emitting device of claim 11 , wherein light generated by the device has a CRI Ra of at least 80 and the intensity decreases to about 50% of said maximum value at a wavelength from about 645 nm to about 665 nm.

14. The light emitting device of claim 11 , wherein light generated by the device has a CRI Ra of at least 90, a CRI R9 of at least 50, and the intensity decreases to about 50% of said maximum value at a wavelength from about 665 nm to about 690 nm.

15. The light emitting device of claim 11 , wherein light generated by the device has a CRI Ra of at least 95, a CRI R9 of at least 60, and the intensity decreases to about 50% of said maximum value at a wavelength that is from about 680 nm to about 695 nm.

16. The light emitting device of claim 11 , wherein the device has a luminous efficacy from 104 lm/W to 152 lm/W.