Spectroscopic and glass transition studies on Nd3+-doped sodium zincborate glasses

Vibrational spectroscopy is one of the most familiar tools for understanding the molecular structure and molecular bonding. In the present investigation, glasses of the following chemical compositions 35ZnO-30Na(2)O-(35-x)B2O3-xNd(2)O(3) where x ranges from 0, 1 and 2 were prepared. The local structures of the glasses were investigated through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The glass transition studies were carried out by differential scanning calorimetry. Absorption and fluorescence studies for 1 mol% Nd3+-doped glass are also analysed. Judd-Ofelt parameters for f-f transition were derived from the integrated absorption spectra and by using this J-O parameters the spontaneous emission probability and stimulated emission cross-section was calculated for the F-4(3/2)-->I-4(11/2) transition. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.