Effects of ultraviolet excitation on the spectroscopic properties of Sm3+ and Tb3+ doped aluminophosphate glasses

•Ln-doped aluminophosphate glasses were prepared by a non-conventional method.•Trivalent Sm and Tb ions were found to be optically activated in all glasses.•Emission of divalente Sm was detected in one of the glasses.•Intense luminescence at room-temperature was achieved exciting with a UV laser.

Li2O–BaO–Al2O3–La2O3–P2O5 glasses optically activated with rare earth ions with the 4f5, and 4f8 electronic configuration (Sm3+ and Tb3+, respectively) were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, absorption, excitation photoluminescence, decay curves and temperature dependent photoluminescence. The spectroscopic characteristics of the as-prepared and heat treated samples at temperatures below and above Tg were studied as well as their room temperature photometric properties under ultraviolet excitation. All the doped glasses exhibit typical signatures of the lanthanides in their trivalent charge state. For the samarium doped glass heat treated at 250 °C (

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