Optical absorption, fluorescence and thermoluminescence properties of ZnF2-MO-TeO2 (MO = ZnO, CdO and PbO) glasses doped with Er3+ ions

ZnF2-TeO2 glasses mixed with the three different modifier oxides, viz. ZnO CdO and PbO doped with Er2O3 were prepared. Optical absorption and photoluminescence spectra of these glasses have been studied. From the measured intensities of various absorption bands of these glasses, the Judd-Ofelt parameters Omega(2), Omega(4) and Omega(6) have been evaluated and compared with those of other reported glass systems. Various radiative properties like transition probability A, branching ratio beta(r), radiative lifetime tau(r), and emission cross-section sigma(E) for various emission levels of these glasses have been determined and reported. The studies on these glasses are also extended for the thermoluminescence (TL) emission of these glasses after X-ray irradiation. The analyses of TL data indicate PbO modifier glass to be a better candidate for giving out maximum TL light output among the three glasses studied. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.