Microwave melt-quenching technique to synthesize of CuO-doped B2O3–ZnO–Na2O–Sm2O3 scintillating glasses

Abstract

The new series of CuO-doped samarium sodium zinc borate (SNZB) glasses, with the composition (59.5-x)B2O3:30ZnO:10Na2O:0.5Sm2O3 (x = 0.00–0.10 mol%), were prepared using the microwave melt-quenching technique. These glasses were characterized through XRD, absorption, excitation, photoluminescence (PL), and X-ray luminescence (RL) spectral measurements. The optical absorption analysis revealed a significant increase in the visible Cu2+ absorption band at approximately 770 nm with the addition of CuO at concentrations ranging from 0.00 to 0.10 mol%. From the absorption spectra of SNZBCu-0.00, the Judd-Ofelt (J-O) intensity parameters (Ω2, Ω4, Ω6) were determined. Under 402 nm excitation, the PL spectra exhibited a bright reddish-orange emission at 600 nm. The decay spectral profiles of the 4G5/2 → 6H7/2 (600 nm) luminescence transition were used to measure experimental lifetimes (τg).