Luminescence properties of Ce3Â +-doped lithium borophosphate glasses and their correlations with the optical basicity

Ce3 +-doped lithium borophosphate glasses were prepared by melt quenching method, their luminescence properties were investigated by excitation and emission spectra, as well as X-ray excited luminescence (XEL) spectra. The broad emission band with the maximum center around 338 nm attributing to 5d-4f transitions of Ce3 + ions is observed, and the optimal concentration of CeO2 is found to be 0.75 wt.% in the CeO2-doped 57.5Li2O-5B2O3-37.5P2O5 scintillating glasses. Both the excitation and emission bands show a red shift in the 45Li2O-yB2O3-(55-y) P2O5-0.75 wt.% CeO2 glasses due to the increasing value of the optical basicity with the increase of y. Moreover, the strongest XEL intensity of 45Li2O-yB2O3-(55-y)P2O5-0.75 wt.% CeO2 glasses reaches a maximum at y = 16.5, which might be associated with the decreasing concentration of the non-bridging oxygen and the change ratio between BO4 groups and total amount of borate groups by increasing B2O3. From the standpoints of the high Li+ concentration and fast fluorescence decay time (28.5 ns), Ce3 +-doped lithium borophosphate glasses are potential candidates for neutron detection.