Emission features of Ho3+ ion in Nb2O5, Ta2O5 and La2O3 mixed Li2O-ZrO2-SiO2 glasses

Li2O-ZrO2-SiO2: Ho3+ glasses mixed with three interesting d-block elemental oxides, viz., Nb2O5, Ta2O5 and La2O3, were prepared. Optical absorption and photoluminescence spectra of these glasses have been recorded at room temperature. The luminescence spectra of Nb2O5 and Ta2O5 mixed Li2O-ZrO2-SiO2 glasses (free of Ho3+ ions) have also exhibited broad emission band in the blue region. This band is attributed to radiative recombination of self-trapped excitons (STEs) localized on substitutionally positioned octahedral Ta5+ and Nb5+ ions in the glass network. The Judd-Ofelt theory was successfully applied to characterize Ho3+ spectra of all the three glasses. From this theory various radiative properties, like transition probability A, branching ratio beta(r) and the radiative lifetime tau(r), for S-5(2) emission levels in the spectra of these glasses have been evaluated. The radiative lifetime for S-5(2) level of Ho3+ ions has also been measured and quantum efficiencies were estimated. Among the three glasses studied the La2O3 mixed glass exhibited the highest quantum efficiency. The reasons for such higher value have been discussed based on the relationship between the structural modifications taking place around the Ho3+ ions. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.