Magnetic and magneto-optical properties of Bi and Pb-containing aluminophosphate glass

- Bi, Pb and Bi-Pb-containing phosphate glasses were prepared by a wet non-conventional route.
- Density, thermal expansion coefficient and chemical stability were measured.
- Magnetic properties evidenced a paramagnetic behavior overlapping a diamagnetic one on reduced applied magnetic fields scale.
- Magnetic properties evidenced a diamagnetic behavior on extended applied magnetic fields scale.
- Verdet constant value of Bi, Pb-containing glass is close to that of reference diamagnetic glasses.

Bi3 +, Pb2 + and Bi3 +-Pb2 +-containing aluminophosphate glasses were obtained by unconventional wet method, the molar formula of the glasses being: i) 58LiPO3, 29Al(PO3)3, 10Ba(PO3)2, 3Bi2O3; ii) 58LiPO3, 29Al(PO3)3, 10Ba(PO3)2, 3PbO and iii) 6LiPO3, 3Al(PO3)3, 1Ba(PO3)2, 10Bi(PO3)3, 80Pb(PO3)2. The glass samples were investigated to determine the density, the thermal expansion coefficients and the chemical stability. The magnetic measurements for Bi and Pb-single doped glasses revealed a diamagnetic behavior and those of Bi-Pb-containing glass disclosed a diamagnetic behavior superposed a small paramagnetic contribution, observed in low magnetic fields that can be attributed to the impurities presented in the matrix. The Verdet constant for the analyzed glasses appeared to have positive values proving a diamagnetic behavior of the investigated material.