Compositional dependence of red photoluminescence of Eu³⁺ ions in lead and bismuth containing borate glasses

Herein, heavy metal borate glasses activated with different concertation of Eu₂O₃ were prepared via the melt quench method. The Eu³⁺ concentration effect on photoluminescence (PL) properties of prepared glasses was investigated and discussed in detail to understand their utility in solid-state lighting and other photonic applications. The present work explains the suitability of two heavy metal oxides such as PbO and Bi₂O₃ for Eu₂O₃ doping to develop the glassy materials for photonic applications. The PL intensity was increased with an increase in Eu³⁺ content in PbO framed borate glasses while in Bi₂O₃ containing borate glasses the PL intensity was decreased at higher concentration due to concentration quenching. The Judd–Ofelt parameters and the radiative properties suggest the heavy metal borate glass hosts activated with 1 mol % of Eu³⁺ were potential materials for red light-emitting devices under blue light excitations. The Lifetime values of the PbO framed glasses were greater compared to Bi₂O₃ framed borate glasses which suggest the borate glass host containing high PbO content is more precisely suitable than Bi₂O₃ containing borate glass for solid-state lighting applications under blue light excitation.