The spectroscopic and elastic properties of borosilicate glasses doped with NdF3

NdF3-doped borosilicate glasses were prepared using the high-temperature melt components of ingredients of NdF3 doped borosilicate glasses. Optical transmission spectra were collected in the range of 190-2500 nm to determine different optical parameters such as the direct and the indirect optical band gap, Urbach energy, refractive index and optical dielectric constant. The molar refraction, electronic polarizability, and the optical basicity results have been determined using the measured glass refractive indices. Judd-Ofelt calculations were used to predict the oscillator strength of an electronic dipole absorption transition. The order of the parameters Ω2, Ω4 and Ω6 are Ω2 < Ω4 < Ω6. They were found to decrease with the increase of Nd3+ concentration. In addition, decreasing the parameter Ω6 indicates that the rigidity of glass samples increases with the increase of Nd3+ions. The increase in rigidity, is also confirmed by the increase of the elastic moduli calculated using Makishima and Mackenzie model. This study suggests that the increasing concentration of Nd3+ in the Nd-doped borosilicate glasses not only affect the optical parameters but also increases the glasses rigidity.