Crystallization and absorption properties of novel photo-thermal refractive glasses with the addition of B2O3

•Exploring a new PTR glass system•Two-step melting technique used to decrease the volatilization•Good photo-induced microcrystallization performance

A new boron-containing photo-thermal-refractive (boron-PTR) glass was prepared by two-step melt-quenching techniques at relative lower glass melting temperature. The influence of Ag+ doping concentration, UV exposure dosage and thermal development parameters on the boron-PTR glass' spectroscopic absorption and crystallization property were investigated and compared with that of the known boron-free PTR glass explored by L. B. Glebov et al. The introduction of B2O3, to some extent, can increase the strength of the silicate bonding thus preventing the liquid–liquid phase separation in this new PTR system when compared to the boron-free PTR system. The developed boron-PTR glass with the processing of 15 s-UV exposure and appropriate thermal development (480 °C/3 h, 500 °C/2 h) exhibits good photo-induced crystallization performance, high VIS-near IR transmittance (670 to 2600 nm) and moderate photo-induced refractive index change (1.1 × 10− 3), which at present status enables this new PTR glass basic ability to record holographic elements.