Optical properties of Sm3+ ions in zinc potassium fluorophosphate glasses

• Sm3+ ions successfully incorporated in zinc potassium fluorophosphate glass.
• Physical properties are investigated.
• JO parameters of Sm3+: zinc potassium fluorophosphate glass are tabulated.
• Radiative properties are evaluated.
• Lifetimes are measured from decay curves.

In the present work, different concentrations of Sm3+ ions doped zinc potassium fluorophosphate glasses (PKAMZFSm: P2O5 + K2O + MgO + Al2O3 + ZnF2 + Sm2O3) were synthesized via melt quench technique. Physical properties and refractive indices of the present glasses were evaluated. Optical characterization of Sm3+: PKAMZF glasses through absorption, excitation, emission and decay spectra had been carried out. Nephelauxetic ratios, bonding parameter and energy band gap of the 1.0 mol% Sm3+-doped PKAMZF glass were evaluated using absorption spectra. Judd–Ofelt (JO) intensity analysis had been presented and JO parameters were evaluated for 1.0 mol% Sm3+-doped zinc potassium fluorophosphate glass. Radiative properties such as transition probabilities, branching ratios and radiative lifetime were estimated by using JO parameters. Stimulated emission cross-sections and effective bandwidths of each transition were obtained from the luminescence spectra. The experimental lifetime, quantum efficiency and donor–acceptor interaction parameters were also estimated using decay curves of 4G5/2 level of Sm3+ ions in the present glasses. The influence of Sm3+ ion concentrations on the luminescence intensity, lifetime and energy transfer parameters for PKAMZFSm glasses was investigated. The results obtained have been compared with the other Sm3+-doped glasses.