Glass-forming ability control of Er3+-Doped lithium-modified fluorozirconate glass

Abstract

The glass-forming ability of Er3+-doped fluorozirconate glasses was systematically investigated by replacing Na+ ions by Li+ ions. As Li+ content increased, the glass-forming ability showed an approximate Gaussian distribution, and an optimal thermal stability was obtained with the dopant of 5 mol% Li+. The mechanism for the enhancement of glass-forming ability in fluoride glasses upon partial substitution of Li+ ions was preliminarily investigated. Moreover, an Er3+-doped fluorozirconate glass modified by 5 mol% Li+ exhibited stronger fluorescence than the unmodified original glass. The results provided a suitable approach for fluoride glass modification.