Correlation of radiative properties of rare earth ions (Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ ) in chlorophosphate glasses 0 1 and 0 5 mol% concentrations

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1 Bull. Mater. Sci., Vol. 4, No. 5, October 001, pp Indian Academy of Sciences. Correlation of radiative properties of rare earth ions (Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ ) in chlorophosphate glasses and mol% concentrations Y C RATNAKARAM* and A VISWANADHA REDDY Department of Physics, SV University PG Centre, Kavali 54 01, India MS received 3 April 001; revised 9 July 001 Abstract. Optical properties of chlorophosphate glasses of the type 50P O 5 30Na HPO 4 0RCl (R = potassium and lead) activated by and mol% of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ have been investigated. Optical band gaps (E opt ) have been reported for and mol% concentrations of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ doped potassium and lead chlorophosphate glasses. s and optical transitions of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ are assigned. Spectroscopic parameters (E 1, E, E 3, ξ 4f and α), spectral intensities (f expt ), Judd Ofelt intensity parameters (Ω, Ω 4 and Ω 6 ) and radiative lifetimes (τ R ) are correlated for and mol% concentrations of these two ions in potassium and lead chlorophosphate glasses. Keywords. Optical band gaps; spectroscopic parameters; intensity parameters; radiative lifetimes. 1. Introduction Generally phosphate glasses possess low refractive index and low dispersion and so they are good candidates to minimize self-focusing effects of laser radiation (Weber 1990; Peng and Day 1991). Several authors reported the spectroscopic investigations of rare earth ions in different phosphate and fluorophosphate glasses (Joshi and Joshi 199; Balda et al 1994; Binnemans et al 1998; Jiang et al 1998). Optical absorption spectra and energy band gaps in praseodymium borophosphate glasses were reported by Sharma et al (1995). Neto et al (1995) reported the optical properties of praseodymium doped fluoride glasses. Jurdyc et al (1997) studied the laser spectroscopy of Pr 3+ doped germanium sulphide based glasses. Judd Ofelt analysis and multiphonon relaxations of rare earth ions in fluorohafnate glasses were given by Cases and Chamarro (1991). Spectroscopic properties of rare earth doped calcium aluminate based glasses were reported by Uhlmann et al (1994). Cases et al (1991) studied the optical properties of Nd 3+ ions in ZnF CdF based glasses. Optical properties of Nd 3+ in tellurite and phosphotellurite glasses were studied by Weber et al (1981). Details of preparation of Nd 3+ doped fluorozirconate glass laser fibre were given by Hu et al (1995). Gatterer et al (1998) reported the suitability of Nd(III) absorption spectroscopy to probe the structure of glasses from the ternary system Na O B O 3 SiO. Previously Ratnakaram and Viswanadha Reddy (000a, b) reported the spectroscopic investigations of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ doped different chlorophosphate glasses in mol% *Author for correspondence concentrations of rare earth ions. These results included optical band gaps, spectral intensities, intensity parameters, radiative lifetimes and branching ratios. These results stimulated the present investigation of spectroscopic studies of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ ions in mol% concentration in potassium and lead chlorophosphate glasses. In this paper, we report the spectral studies of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ ions in potassium and lead chlorophoshate glasses in and mol% concentrations. These glasses are of the type 50P O 5 30Na HPO 4 0RCl (R = potassium and lead). The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of the concentration of rare earth ions on optical band gaps, spectral intensities and radiative lifetimes.. Experimental The analar grades of P O 5, Na HPO 4, KCl and PbCl were purchased from E. Merck India Ltd., Bombay and PrCl 3 and NdCl 3 were obtained from M/s Indian Rare Earth Ltd., Kerala. All these chemicals were of 99 9% purity. The general composition of the glass was 50P O 5, 30Na HPO 4 and 0RCl (R = K and Pb). The rare earths were added in and mol% concentrations to the above glass composition. The glass samples were prepared by melting the required amounts of above chemicals in a specially made clay crucible at a temperature of 1100 C. The details of preparation of these glasses were explained elsewhere (Ratnakaram and Viswanadha Reddy 000a). Density of the glass samples was determined by Archimedes principle using xylene as the immersion liquid with an accuracy of ± g/cm 3. The glass refractive indices were measured using Abbe s refractometer with an accuracy of ± The absorption spectra were recorded at room temperature in UV VIS 539

2 540 Y C Ratnakaram and A Viswanadha Reddy NIR region using Hitachi U-3400 UV VIS NIR double beam spectrophotometer. 3. Results and discussion Using Davis and Mott (1970) theory, the optical data are analysed for higher values of α(ω) above the exponential 1/ region by plotting ( αhω) as a function of photon 1/ energy, h ω for indirect transitions and by plotting ( αh ω) as a function of h ω for direct transitions for Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ ions as shown in figures 1 and, respectively. The optical band gap, E opt values are obtained by extrapolation to ( αh ω) = 0 and ( αh ω) = 0 and are presented in 1/ table 1 for both Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ ions in potassium and lead 1/ Figure 1. Variation of ( αhω) with hω for Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ doped potassium and lead chlorophosphate glasses ( and mol% concentrations). Figure. Variation of ( αhω) with hω for Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ doped potassium and lead chlorophosphate glasses ( and mol% concentrations).

3 Radiative properties of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ in chlorophosphate glasses 541 chlorophosphate glasses. From the table, it is observed that optical band gap values increased with increasing concentration of lanthanide ion for both direct and indirect transitions in the two glasses. The absorption spectra of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ ions in potassium and lead chlorophosphate glasses are shown in figures 3 6. The energy, E J, of the Jth may be written in Tayler s series expansion (Wong 1961, 1963) as 3 dej k dej dej E J = E0 J + E + ξ 4 f + α +, (1) k de dξ dα k= 1 where E 0J is the zero order energy of the Jth and de J /de k, de J /dξ and de J /dα are partial derivatives. Using experimental energies as E J, the numerical values of zero order energies and partial derivatives, a number of linear equations equal to the number of observed s are formed and the values are calculated by using the least squares fit method. The E k, ξ 4f and α parameters are evaluated from and E k = E 0 k + E k, () ξ 4f = ξ 0 + α, (3) α = α 0 + α, (4) where E 0 k, ξ 0 and α 0 are the aquo ion parameters with which the partial derivatives are evaluated. The experimental energies of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ ions in and mol% concentrations of rare earth ion for both Table 1. Optical band gaps (E opt, ev) for indirect and direct transitions of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ doped potassium (KCPG) and lead (PbCPG) chlorophosphate glasses in different concentrations (concentration values are in mol%). Indirect Direct Indirect Direct Sl. no Glass KCPG PbCPG Glass composition: 50P O 5 30Na HPO 4 0RCl (R = potassium and lead). Figure 3. Optical absorption spectra of Pr 3+ doped potassium chlorophosphate glass ( and mol% concentrations).

4 54 Y C Ratnakaram and A Viswanadha Reddy Figure 4. Optical absorption spectra of Pr 3+ doped lead chlorophosphate glass ( and mol% concentrations). Figure 5. Optical absorption spectra of Nd 3+ doped potassium chlorophosphate glass ( and mol% concentrations). Figure 6. Optical absorption spectra of Nd 3+ doped lead chlorophosphate glass ( and mol% concentrations).

5 Radiative properties of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ in chlorophosphate glasses 543 potassium and lead chlorophosphate glasses and various spectroscopic parameters (E 1, E, E 3, ξ 4f and α) are presented in table. In the case of Pr 3+ ion, as the observed s are less in number, the parameter α is not evaluated. The rms deviations between experimental and calculated energies are also presented in table and these values are within experimental error. The intensities of the absorption bands are determined using the formula f exp = ε (v) dv, (5) where ε (v) is molar extinction coefficient corresponding to the energy of the transition v. It is calculated from the Beer Lambert s law 1 I0 ε ( v ) = log, (6) cl I where c is the concentration of the lanthanide ion in mol/l, l the optical path length and log (I 0 /I) the optical density. In the present work, the intensity of all the bands are measured by taking the area of the each absorption band. According to Judd Ofelt (196) theory f ed = λ λ=,4, 6 T v( f N ψ J U λ f N ψ J ), (7) the three parameters T, T 4 and T 6 are evaluated using the experimental data employing least squares fit. The squared reduced matrix elements U λ in the above equation are calculated in the intermediate coupling case. As these values are insensitive to the environment, we have used the values given by Carnall et al (1978). With these T, T 4 and T 6 parameters and squared reduced matrix elements, f cal values are obtained. The experimental spectral intensities for all the transitions of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ ions in and mol% concentrations of rare earth ion in potassium and lead chlorophosphate glasses are presented in table 3. The rms deviations which show agreement between experimental and calculated spectral intensities are also presented in this table and these values are very low. From the table, it is observed that the spectral intensities are slightly higher for certain transitions in the case of mol% of rare earth ion for both Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ ions in the two glasses. From the rms deviation values, it is observed that the Judd Ofelt theory works less on Pr 3+ ion. The Judd Ofelt intensity parameters (Ω λ ) are calculated from the formula 3h 9n Ω λ = (J + 1) T, λ (8) 8Π mc ( n + ) where n is the refractive index of the medium. The calculated Judd Ofelt intensity parameters Ω, Ω 4 and Ω 6 are also presented in table 3. Generally, Ω parameter indicates the amount of covalent bonding between rare earth anion and chloride cation and Ω 4 and Ω 6 parameters indicate the rigidity of the host. From the table, it is observed that Ω parameter is negative for Pr 3+ ion, which indicates Table. Energies and various spectroscopic parameters of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ doped potassium (KCPG) and lead (PbCPG) chlorophosphate glasses in different concentrations (energy values are in cm 1 and concentration values are in mol%). KCPG PbCPG KCPG PbCPG Sl. no F F F D P P P F 5/, H 9/ F 7/, 4 S 3/ F 9/ H 11/ G 5/, G 7/ K 4 13/ G 7/ G 9/ K 15/, G 9/ G 11/ P 1/ D 5/ rms deviation: ± 7 ± 5 ± 9 ± 1 ± 74 ± 98 ± 89 ± 100 E E E ξ 4f α

6 544 Y C Ratnakaram and A Viswanadha Reddy that Judd Ofelt theory works less well on Pr 3+ ion. It is also observed that in the case of Nd 3+ ion, the variation of Ω parameter is more when compared with Ω 4 and Ω 6 parameters by varying the concentration. But for Pr 3+ ion there is much variation in both Ω and Ω 6 parameters. It indicates that in the case of Nd 3+, surrounding environment of the rare earth ion is different for different concentrations, but for Pr 3+ ion, both the environment and rigidity changes with concentration. In the calculation of different radiative properties of rare earth ions, we have considered the magnitudes of intensity parameters. The electric dipole line strengths are calculated employing the formula S ed = e λ=,4, 6 Ω λ (ψ J U λ ψ J ), (9) The radiative transition probability is given by 3 64Π ν n( n + ) A = S 3h(J + 1) 9 ed, (10) and is related to the radiative lifetime τ R, of an excited state by the expression τ R = A T (ψ J) 1, (11) where A T (ψ J), is the total radiative transition probability. Using the above expressions, the radiative lifetimes are estimated for certain excited states 3 P 1, 3 P 0, 1 D and 3 F 3 of Pr 3+ and 4 G 9/, 4 G 7/, 4 G 5/, H 11/, 4 F 9/, 4 F 5/ and 4 F 3/ of Nd 3+ and are presented in table 4 for both and mol% concentrations in potassium and lead chlorophosphate glasses. From the table it is observed that the Table 3. Spectral intensities and Judd Ofelt intensity parameters (Ω, Ω 4, Ω 6, 10 0 cm ) of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ ions in potassium (KCPG) and lead (PbCPG) chlorophosphate glasses in different concentrations (concentration values are in mol%). KCPG PbCPG KCPG PbCPG Sl. no F F F D P P P F 5/, H 9/ F 7/, 4 S 3/ F 9/ H 11/ G 5/, G 7/ K 13/, 4 G 7/ G 9/ K 15/, G 9/ G 11/ P 1/ D 5/ rms deviation: ± 7 01 ± 6 85 ± 5 31 ± 7 79 ± 3 ± 0 31 ± 0 3 ± 0 33 Ω Ω Ω Table 4. Radiative lifetimes (τ R, µs) of certain excited states of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ ions in potassium (KCPG) and lead (PbCPG) chlorophosphate glasses in different concentrations (concentration values are in mol%). Sl no. KCPG PbCPG KCPG PbCPG Excited Excited P P D F G 9/ G 7/ G 5/ H 11/ F 9/ F 5/ F 3/

7 Radiative properties of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ in chlorophosphate glasses 545 lifetime values decrease for all excited s as the concentration increases for both Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ ions in these two glasses. Similar results have been reported by Balda et al (1999) and Adam et al (1999) in the case of Pr 3+ doped fluorophosphate glasses and Nd 3+ doped fluoroarsenate glasses, respectively. 4. Conclusions The optical band gaps (E opt ) increase with the increase of concentration of rare earth ions for both indirect and direct transitions. Except for mol% of Pr 3+ ion in potassium chlorophosphate glass (Ω < Ω 4 < Ω 6 ), the variation of magnitude of Judd Ofelt intensity parameters is Ω < Ω 6 < Ω 4 for and mol% concentrations. The variation of Ω is more in the case of Nd 3+ ion, whereas in the case of Pr 3+, both Ω and Ω 6 parameters vary with concentration. The estimated radiative lifetimes for all the excited states of Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ ions decrease as the rare earth ion concentration increases. Similar results have been reported in fluorophosphate and fluoroarsenate glasses. Acknowledgements The authors express their thanks to the Head, Department of Physics, SVUPG Centre, Kavali, for providing the necessary facilities in execution of the above work. References Adam J L, Balda R, Melscoet I, Smektala F, Lacha L M and Fernandez J 1999 J. Non-Cryst. Solids 56 & Balda R, Fernandez J, Menidioroz A, Adam J L and Boulard B 1994 J. Phys. Condens. Matter Balda R, Fernandez J, Adam J L, Mendioroz A and Arriandiaga M A 1999 J. Non-Cryst. Solids 56 & Binnemans K, Van Deun R, Gorller-Walrand C and Adam J L 1998 J. Non-Cryst. Solids Carnall W T, Cross White H and Cross White H M 1978 structure and transition probabilities of the trivalent lanthanides in LaF 3, Argonne National Laboratory Report, ANL-78-XX Cases R and Chamarro M A 1991 J. Solid State Chem Cases R, Chamarro M A, Alcala R and Rodriguez V D 1991 J. Lumin Davis F A and Mott N F 1970 Philos. Mag. 903 Gatterer K, Pucker G, Jantscher W, Fritzer H P and Arafa S 1998 J. Non-Cryst. Solids Hu H, Yi G, Lin F, Qi C, Yu Y, Ye A and Gan F 1995 J. Non- Cryst. Solids Jiang S, Myers M and Peyghambarian N 1998 J. Non-Cryst. Solids Joshi B C and Joshi M C 199 J. Non-Cryst. Solids Judd B R 196 Phys. Rev Jurdyc A M, Garapon C, Jacquier B, Meresse Y, Fonteneau G and Adam J L 1997 J. Non-Cryst. Solids 13 & Neto J A M, Hewak B W and Tate H 1995 J. Non-Cryst. Solids Ofelt G S 196 J. Chem. Phys Peng Y B and Day D E 1991 Glass Technol Ratnakaram Y C and Viswanadha Reddy A 000a J. Non-Cryst. Solids Ratnakaram Y C and Viswanadha Reddy A 000b Phys. Chem. Glasses Sharma Y K, Mathur S C, Dube D C and Tandon S P 1995 J. Mater. Sci. Lett Uhlmann E V, Weiberg M C, Kreidl N Y, Burgner L L, Zanoni R and Church K H 1994 J. Non-Cryst. Solids Weber M J 1990 J. Non-Cryst. Solids Weber M J, Myers J D and Blackburn D H 1981 J. Appl. Phys Wong E Y 1961 J. Chem. Phys Wong E Y 1963 J. Chem. Phys

Influence of Nd 3+ concentration on its optical absorption and luminescence properties in potassium borate glass

Influence of Nd 3+ concentration on its optical absorption and luminescence properties in potassium borate glass Y. C. Ratnakaram *; 1, Md. Abdul Altaf 1, R. P. S. Chakradhar 2,J.L.Rao 3, and J. Ramakrishna