Absorption and emission properties of Ho3+ doped lead–zinc–borate glasses

This paper reports on the affect of lead content on the absorption and emission spectra of the Ho3+ ion doped lead–zinc–borate glasses in the composition (mol%) of (20 − x)PbO–20ZnO–(59 + x)B2O3–1.0Ho2O3 where x = 0, 5,10,15 of PbO content with λexc = 405 nm. The experimental absorption band energies have satisfactorily been correlated with the theoretical results with an r.m.s deviation of zero with the following correction factors obtained by a least square fit analysis: ΔE1 = 348.495936 cm− 1, ΔE2 = 1.436043 cm− 1, ΔE3 =  46.481575 cm− 1, Δξ4f = − 28.512979 cm− 1, Δα = 55.508936 cm− 1, Δβ = − 1394.339908 cm− 1 and Δγ = 1208.424336 cm− 1. By applying the Judd–Ofelt intensity parameter Ω2 has been found to be linearly decreasing with the PbO content from 5 to 10 mol% and then increasing. And also radiative (A, AT, β, τr) characteristic factors of the luminescent transitions (5I8 ← 5F3,4,5 and 5S2) of the glasses have been evaluated. Stimulated emission cross-sections (σpE) of the measured emission transitions of holmium glasses have also been computed.