Spectroscopic properties and luminescence behavior of γ-irradiated Sm3+ doped oxy-fluoride phosphate glasses

Abstract

Oxy-fluoride glasses singly and co-doped with Sm3+ ions have been synthesized of composition 30, 20 and 50 mol% NaF, AlF3 and PF5, respectively, was established to study the effect of both Sm3+ ions concentrations(0.25–1 mol%), and different gamma-irradiation doses on its XRD, ESR, optical transmission and photo-luminescence (PL) spectroscopy. ESR results show that, creation of defect center is suppressed by enhancing the Sm2O3 content with POECs more influenced than POHCs center. This can be assumed to the competition between defect center creations and Sm3+ ↔ Sm2+ transition. We observed strong transmission band in the range 200 → 800 nm due to charge transfer and the conversion from 6H5/2 state to the different excited states of the Sm3+ ions. PL measurements reveal the coexistence of Sm2+ and Sm3+ ions after been irradiated and this indicates that some Sm3+ ions were converted to Sm2+ ions by irradiation and NBOH centers were developed. The impact of samarium oxide on ESR, transmission and PL spectral of the glasses before and after irradiation were compared and discussed with that of the undoped glass is discussed. These collective studies could justify that these oxy-fluoride glasses are suitable to be used as solid state dosimeters. Keywords: Oxy-fluoride glasses, XRD, Fluorescence, ESR, γ-Irradiation