Absorbance and Fluorescence Spectral Analysis of Sm<sup>3+</sup> Ions Doped Bismuth Boro-Silicate Glasses

Abstract

Glasses having compositions 20B2O3.(79.5-x)Bi2O3.xSiO2 (10 ≤ x ≤ 40) doped with 0.5 mol% of Sm 3+ ions were prepared by melt quench technique. The amorphous nature of the glasses was confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. The spectroscopic properties of Sm 3+ ions in bismuth borosilicate glasses as a function of bismuth oxide were investigated using optical absorption and fluorescence spectra. The Judd-Ofelt theory has been employed to calculate transitions probability from the data of absorption cross-section of several f-f transitions. The intensity parameters Ω2 is related to the symmetry of glass hosts, where as the parameter Ω6 is inversely proportional to the rare earth oxygen (RE-O) covalency. The variation of Ω4 with Bi2O3 content has been attributed to rigidity of the samples. Using the Judd Ofelt intensity parameters the other radiative properties like radiative transition probability, radiative life time, branching ratio and the stimulated emission cross-sections of prepared BBSS glasses have been calculated. A bright fluorescent orange emission at 600 nm (4 G 5/2 → 6 H 7/2) of Sm 3+ ion has been investigated as a function of Bi2O3 in host glass. The radiative transition probabilities of Sm 3+ ions are large in bismuth borosilicate glasses, suggesting the suitability of these glasses as potential candidate for laser application.