Influence of Nd 2 O 3 addition on the electrical and optical properties of lithium niobium borate glass

A lithium niobium borate glass sample doped with neodymium was prepared by the quenching method. X-ray diffraction technique showed that the sample is in the glassy state and was validated by differential thermal analysis (DTA) study. From the intensities of some optical absorption bands, the Judd–Ofelt parameter Ω λ (λ = 2, 4, 6) has been evaluated. The variations in some physical properties such as the electrical conductivity, optical band gap (E g), and Urbach energy (E t ) have been correlated with structural changes in the glass sample. The shift of the cutoff towards a high wave number can be shown by the increases in band gap after annealing temperature. The nephelauxetic ratio is calculated and indicates the covalent nature of the Nd–O bond. The spectroscopic quality factor is determined and indicates that the transition 4F3/2 → 4I11/2 has the greater emission intensity.