Modifications induced in the structural and optical properties of bismuth sodium borosilicate glass thin films by 120 MeV Ag7+ ions

The composition of the glass is Bi2O3 (20%)–Na2O (15%)–B2O3 (50%)–SiO2 (15%) was prepared by conventional melt quench method. To study the effect of heavy ion irradiation on the glass network and structural units, thin films of the glass have been prepared by electron beam gun evaporation. The prepared films are irradiated using 120 MeV Ag7+ ions in the fluence range of 1 × 1012–3 × 1013 ions cm−2. The optical and structural properties were investigated using UV–visible absorption spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic techniques. A significant decrease in the band gap is observed after irradiation which is indicative of the fact that radiation has caused compaction in the glass structure.