Luminescence and spectroscopic properties of ZnF2–MO–TeO2 glasses doped with Ho3+ ions

•Relatively less disorder is present in ZTHo glass network.•Ho3+ ion shows the highest covalent environment in ZTHo glass.•Judd–Ofelt (JO) theory has been applied to investigate JO and radiative parameters.•The highest value of βr for the 5S2 → 5I8 transition in ZTHo glass is useful for laser transition.

ZnF2–TeO2 glasses mixed with the three different modifier oxides (MO) viz., ZnO, CdO and PbO doped with Ho2O3 were prepared. These glasses were characterized by X-ray diffraction, and IR spectra. Optical absorption and fluorescence spectra of these glasses have been studied. From the measured intensities of various absorption bands of these glasses the Judd–Ofelt parameters ΩλΩλ (λ = 2, 4, 6) have been evaluated and compared with those of other reported glass systems. From the Judd–Ofelt theory various radiative properties like transition probability A, branching ratio βR, the radiative life time τR, and the emission cross-section σP for various emission levels of these glasses have been determined and reported.