Tb3+, Eu3+, and Dy3+ doped lithium borate and lithium aluminoborate glass: Glass properties and photoluminescence quantum efficiency

The glass properties as well as the photoluminescence quantum efficiency of Li2O-B2O3 and Li2O-Al2O3-B2O3 glasses are investigated; both glass systems are optically-activated by the addition of the lanthanide ions Tb3+, Eu3+, and Dy3+. Glass transition, glass crystallization, and glass melting temperatures as well as glass forming temperature ranges are determined upon varying the modifier-to-former (Li2O-to-B2O3) ratio in the range between 1:6 to 1:2. For lithium borate glass, the risk of spontaneous crystallization decreases upon decreasing the lithium concentration. The photoluminescence quantum efficiency increases slightly upon decreasing the lithium concentration with the value of a Al2O3-containing sample always lower than that of the Al2O3-free correspondent.