Western Illinois University, Physics, Macomb, IL 61455
We have studied the Sm3+ fluorescence as a function of glass composition in lead and bismuth borate glasses. Sm3+ doped lead borate glasses (PbO-B2O3-Sm2O3) and Sm3+ doped bismuth borate (Bi2O3-B2O3-Sm2O3) glasses were prepared by varying PbO and Bi2O3 content in the range from 29.5 mol% to 69.5 mol%. All the glass samples were prepared by the usual melt quench technique after melting the appropriate mix of starting materials in a porcelain crucible at 1000 oC and pouring them on a thick brass plate. Glasses were annealed for 3 hours and then polished. Fluorescence spectra were obtained at two different excitation wavelengths using a Shimadzu spectrofluorometer. Three emission peaks were observed at 562 nm, 597 nm and 644 nm. In general, the intensity of the emission peaks for 477nm excitation wavelength was found to increase significantly with PbO concentration whereas for the excitation at 403 nm the intensity of the emission peaks decreased. At 49.5 mol% of PbO, the intensity of the emission peaks for 403 nm excitation matches that for 477 nm excitation. Changes in the positions and the intensity of fluorescence peaks are closely related to the structural changes taking place in the glass network- in the vicinity of the rare earth ion Sm3+, as well as energy transfer from bismuth and lead to samarium ions as we vary (increase) PbO and Bi2O3 concentrations.
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