Spectroscopic Properties of Sm3+Doped Lithium Zinc Borosilicate Glasses

For spectroscopic analysis, the Sm3+ ions doped with lithium zinc borosilicate (LZBS) glasses were prepared by the conventional melt quenching technique. The prepared glasses were characterized by the XRD, SEM, optical absorption, luminescence and decay measurements. The XRD spectrum clearly revealed that the LZBS glass is amorphous in nature and the SEM spectrum conformed the same. The UV-VIS-NIR absorption spectra revealed seventeen peaks at 360, 374, 389, 402, 416, 437, 462, 476,526, 562, 943, 1076, 1224, 1369, 1471, 1521 and 1584 nm corresponding to the 6H5/2→4D3/2, 6P7/2, 4L15/2 , 6P3/2, 6P5/2, 4G9/2, 4I13/2, 4I11/2, 4F3/2, 4G5/2, 6F11/2, 6F9/2, 6F7/2, 6F5/2, 6F3/2, 6H15/2 and 6F1/2 transitions, respectively. The Judd -Ofelt intensity parameters (Ω2, Ω4 and Ω6) have been determined from the absorption data and these parameters are found to follow the trend as Ω4 Ω6 6. Photoluminescence spectra recorded by the excitation wavelength of 402 nm, revealed four emission peaks at 562, 598, 645 and 713 nm corresponding to 4G 5/2→ 6H5/2, 6H7/2, 6H9/2 and 6H11/2 transitions, respectively. Radiatiive transition probabilities (AR) peak stimulated emission cross-sections (σe), experimental (βexp) and calculated (βR) branching ratios were determined for different emission transitions. The nature of decay curves of 4G5/2 level for different Sm3+ ions concentrations in the LZBS Smx glasses has been analyzed using Inokuti-Hirayama (I-M) model and the lifetimes (τexp) are found to decrease with increase of Sm3+ ions concentrations.