Effect of Nd2O3 and Na2O concentration on physical and spectroscopic properties of TeO2–Bi2O3–ZnO–Na2O–Nd2O3 glasses

Two series of tellurite glasses with molar compositions of (55TeO 2 –2Bi 2 O 3 –(41-x) ZnO–2Na 2 O–xNd 2 O 3 (x = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5) and 55TeO 2 –2Bi 2 O 3 –(41-x) ZnO- x Na 2 O-2Nd 2 O 3 (x = 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0) were fabricated using melt quenching technique. Based on the measured densities, refractive indices and absorption spectra, physical and spectroscopic properties of these two-glass series are evaluated and compared. Whereas substitution of ZnO by Nd 2 O 3 causes the values of density and refractive index increase, the substitution of ZnO by Na 2 O has been shown to impact the glass density and refractive index in the opposite manner. Molar volume of both series increases with an increase of either Nd 2 O 3 or Na 2 O concentrations. In this regard, a dynamical model explaining the density and molar volume was proposed. Additionally, Judd-Ofelt theory was applied in order to predict the physical and laser properties of the two glasses series as a function of glass compositions, i.e., Judd-Ofelt parameters Ω t ( t  = 2, 4, 6), branching ratios ( β ), calculated lifetimes ( τ ), the emission to exited state absorption intensity ratio ( A em / A ESA ) and spectroscopic quality χ  = Ω 4 /Ω 6 . Equations to relate χ with branching ratios for laser transitions 4 F 3/2 to 4 I J’ (with J ′ = 9/2, 11/2, 13/2 and 15/2) were also derived.