The study of the interaction between optically excited
ions that enhance emission from fluorescing cations can
be useful in industrial applications and scientific research.
Uranyl ions (UOþþ
2 ) have proven their importance
in solar energy concentrators [1] due to their large
oscillator strength in the ultraviolet and visible regions
of the spectrum compared with other ions. Energy absorbed
by UOþþ
2 ions can be transferred to some other
ion where emission lies in the desired wavelength region.
Reisfeld and Kalisky [2] have studied energy transfer
from UOþþ
2 to Nd3þ and Ho3þ ions in barium crown
glass with a transfer efficiency as high as 65%. Joshi et al.
[3] have observed non-radiative energy transfer from
UOþþ
2 to Eu3þ in barium borate glass. In another study
Joshi and Lohani [4] have found that non-radiative energy
transfer from UOþþ
2 to Eu3þ occurs with high
efficiency in zinc phosphate glass.
Keeping in view the above interesting results, we have
chosen UOþþ
2 –Sm3þ system for energy transfer study in
zinc phosphate glass. Zinc phosphate glasses have higher
transparency in ultraviolet region than conventional
glasses; hence more dopant ions can be excited by UV
radiation. This, together with other useful properties of
phosphate glasses [5], make it suitable as host matrix