Djamal, M., Yuliantini, L., Hidayat, R., Rauf, N., Horprathum, M., Rajaramakrishna, R., Boonin, K., Yasaka, P., Kaewkhao, J., Venkatramu, V., and Kothan, S.
Trivalent neodymium (Nd3+) -doped Zn-Al-Ba borate glasses of composition (60-x)B 2 O 3 +20BaO+10Al 2 O 3 +10ZnO + xNd 2 O 3 (x = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mol%) were prepared by a conventional melt-quenching technique and studied their physical, structural, optical and luminescence properties. The amorphous nature of the glasses has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction patterns. The EDAX data shows percent mass of elements of the glass system. FTIR spectra confirm the formation of BO 3 and BO 4 groups in the glass structure and compared them with Raman spectra. The Judd-Ofelt theory was adopted to analyze the radiative properties of Nd 2 O 3 –doped glasses to derive oscillator strengths (f), JO parameters (Ω λ=2,4,6), stimulated emission cross-sections (σ e), radiative transition probabilities (A R), and branching ratios (β R) of various transitions of Nd3+ ions. The lifetime of the 4F 3/2 level of Nd3+ ions in the glasses decreases with the increase of Nd 2 O 3 concentration due to the shortened distance between Nd3+ ion in the glass structure. The strongest emission intensity is found at 1056 nm (4F 3/2 → 4I 11/2 transition) when excited by 808 nm. The optimum concentration of Nd 2 O 3 in the studied glasses is found to be 1.0 mol% based on luminescence intensity. All these results were compared with reported research of Nd3+:glasses to determine the lasing potentiality of studied glasses. • Nd3+-doped Zn-Al-Ba borate glasses have been prepared. • Direct (3.39–3.44 eV) and indirect (3.15–3.30 eV) optical band gaps have been evaluated for these glasses. • The strongest NIR emission due to 4F 3/2. → 4I 11/2 transition of Nd3+ ions has been observed at 1056 nm with β exp of 68% and σ e of 3.74 × 10−20 cm2 for BBaAZNd0.5 glass • The developed glasses could be potential candidates for infrared emitting device application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]