A waveguide such as optical fiber is to receive a primary light in a longitudinal (propagation) direction. The fiber has formed therein scattering structures that re-direct the propagating primary light out of the waveguide, for instance in a transverse direction. A photo-luminescent layer absorbs the re-directed primary light to thereby emit secondary wavelength converted light having a different wavelength than and broader bandwidth than the primary light, resulting in white illumination light, being the secondary light combined with any unabsorbed primary light. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.