Visible luminescence characteristics of Sm3+ doped Zinc Alumino Bismuth Borate glasses

Zinc Alumino Bismuth Borate (ZnAlBiB) glasses at different compositions doped with 1 mol% of Sm3+ ions were prepared by using the melt quenching technique and investigated by XRD, optical absorption, emission and decay curve analysis to understand the visible luminescence of these glasses. From the absorption spectra the JO parameters are evaluated and are used to calculate the radiative properties such as transition probability, radiative lifetime, branching ratio and absorption cross-sections for various fluorescent levels of Sm3+ ions. The emission spectra of Sm3+ ions doped ZnAlBiB glasses show two intense emission bands (4)G(5/2)-> H-6(7/2) (orange) and (4)G(5/2)-> H-6(9/2) (red) for which the stimulated emission cross-section and branching ratios are evaluated to understand the potentiality of these materials as visible lasers. The decay profiles for the (4)G(5/2) fluorescent level of Sm3+ doped ZnAlBiB glasses have been recorded to measure the quantum efficiency (77) of these glasses. The strong visible emissions, large stimulated emission cross-sections, high branching ratios and good quantum efficiencies observed for the present ZnAlBiB glasses suggest the suitability of these glasses as laser and photonic devices operating in visible region. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.