Luminescence properties of Sm3+-doped fluorosilicate glasses

Sm2O3-doped fluorosilicate glasses (SiO2+Nb2O5+K2O+ZnF2) were prepared by the melt quenching technique and are characterized through various spectroscopic techniques such as Raman, optical absorption, excitation, emission and decay to derive various spectroscopic properties. Raman analysis has been carried out in order to know the vibrational groups present in the glass matrix. The optical band gap and Urbach energies have been evaluated from the absorption edges of the absorption spectra of 1.0 mol% Sm2O3 doped fluorosilicate glass. The Judd-Ofelt (JO) analysis has been applied to evaluate the intensity parameters, Ωλ (λ=2,4 and 6), for 1.0 mol% Sm2O3 doped fluorosilicate glass. These JO parameters have been used to evaluate radiative properties such as radiative transition probabilities, branching ratios, radiative lifetime and stimulated emission cross-sections for the luminescent levels of Sm3+ ion. The decay curve analysis has been performed for all the glasses in order to know the energy transfer processes between Sm3+ ions. The results indicate that the present glasses could be useful for photonics applications.