Optical properties of zinc–vanadium glasses doped with samarium trioxide

Zinc–vanadium glasses doped with samarium oxide having the chemical composition Sm2O3(x) ZnO(40−x) V2O5(60)(where x = 0⋅1–0⋅5 mol%) were prepared by melt quenching method. The density of these glasses was measured by Archimedes method; the corresponding molar volumes have also been calculated. The values of density range from 3⋅7512 to 5⋅0535 gm/cm3 and those of molar volume range from 28⋅3004 to 37⋅6415 cm−3. The optical absorbance studies were carried out on these glasses to measure their energy bandgaps. The absorption spectra of these glasses were recorded in UV–Visible region. No sharp edges were found in the optical spectra, which verify the amorphous nature of these glasses. The calculated optical bandgap energies of these glasses were found to be in the range of 0⋅3173–0⋅6640 eV. The refractive index and polarizability of oxide ion have been calculated by using Lorentz–Lorentz relations. The values of refractive index range from 1⋅1762 to 1⋅2901 and those of polarizability of oxide ion range from 1⋅6906 × 10−24 to 2⋅2379 × 10−24cm3.