SPECTROSCOPIC PROPERTIES OF ERBIUM IONS DOPED IN BISMUTH BORO-SILICATE GLASSES

Glasses with composition 20B2O3.(79.5-x)Bi2O3.xSiO2 (10 ≤ x ≤ 40) containing 0.5mol% of Er3+ ions were prepared by melt-quench technique. Optical absorption and fluorescence spectra were recorded at room temperature for all glass samples. Based on the Judd-Offelt theory, spectroscopic properties of Er3+ ions are discussed by changing the host glass compositions. The intensity parameters Ω2, Ω4, and Ω6 are determined by applying least square analysis method. The variation of Ω2 and Ω6 with Bi2O3 content has been attributed to changes in the asymmetry of the ligand field at the rare earth ion site and to the changes in the rare earth oxygen (RE-O) covalency. The variation of Ω4 with Bi2O3 content has been attributed to rigidity of the samples. Using these intensity parameters various radiative properties like spontaneous emission probability, branching ratio, radiative life time and stimulated emission cross-section of various emission lines have been evaluated. An intense green luminescence bands with maximum around 516 nm and 536 nm are assigned to the 2H11/2→ 4I15/2 and 4S3/2→ 4I15/2 transitions respectively has been obtained.