Spectroscopic properties of fluoroindate glass and glass-ceramics doped with Eu3+ ions

Fluoroindate glass is characterized by low phonon energy (500 cm(-1)), which enables most of the radiative transitions in the lanthanides to occur in the range VIS-NIR. It allows considering this matrix as a potential host glass for NIR emission and light sources. This work reports the fabrication and analysis of luminescence properties, and structure of the fluoroindate glasses and glass-ceramics (GC) co-doped with Eu3+ ions. The materials' microstructure and structure were analysed using X- ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman measurement techniques, respectively. It has been shown that the basic structural units in the glass network are [InF6] octahedrons tetrahedrons. The luminescence analysis was performed in the glass and glass-ceramics samples doped with EuF3 showing the excitation and emission properties and changes in the lifetimes. The excitation at 395 nm resulted in different emissions in blue, green, and red which correspond to the transitions from D-5(J) (J=0 to 3) multiples to the F-7(J) (J= 0 to 6), which is the effect of the low phonon energy of the matrix and is comparable with other low phonon materials. In the glass-ceramics, the effect of network ordering around the Eu3+ ions was noticed. The fluorescence intensity ratio R/O related to D-5(0)-> F-7(2) and D-5(0)-> F-7(1) transitions in Eu3+ decreased from 0.74 to 0.56 value. Obtained results allowed to consider this GC material as a potential host for luminescent material and possibly glass fiber sources.

Automated summary

This study reports the preparation, structure analysis, and luminescent properties of fluoroindate glass and glass-ceramic materials. The results show that these materials have low phonon energy and good luminescent properties, making them potential hosts for near-infrared emission and light sources.