Enhanced red emission in Eu3+ ions doped ZnO-Al2O3-BaF2-CaF2-B2O3 glasses for visible laser applications

Abstract Europium ions doped Oxy-Fluoro-Borate glass samples (OFB) were synthesized through the melt-quench mechanism. In order to analyze the lasing properties; absorption, photoluminescence (PL) excitation, PL emission, and PL decay curve spectral measurements were done. For europium ions doped OFB glasses, the Judd-Ofelt (J-O) parameters were evaluated from the PL spectra instead of absorption spectral data. The obtained J-O parameters follow the same trend Ω2>Ω4 for all the titled glasses. The PL spectra of all the glasses possess an intense peak in the reddish region at 612 nm. In europium doped OFB glasses, the concentration quenching is not observed up to 2.0 mol%. From the decay profiles, experimental lifetimes were measured and they are used to evaluate the quantum efficiency. Of all the glasses OFBEu20 glass has the highest values of quantum efficiency and stimulated emission cross-section. The evaluated CIE coordinates of these glasses also fall in the reddish region which can be confirmed through the con-focal images. Hence OFBEu20 glass is aptly considered as a good optical material for red color laser emission.