Glasses having composition 20ZnO·xBi2O3·(79.5−x)B2O3·0.5Pr6O11 were prepared by melt quench technique.
The amorphous nature of the prepared glass samples was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The
spectroscopic properties of these glasses were investigated by recording optical absorption and fluorescence
spectra. The structural investigations of the glasses were carried out by recording the IR spectra.
The optical properties of Pr3+ ions doped zinc borate glasses with varying concentration of bismuth oxide
have been studied. The Judd–Ofelt intensity parameters ˝ ( = 2, 4, 6) and other radiative properties
like radiative transition probability, radiative life time, branching ratio and stimulated emission crosssection
of the prepared glasses have been calculated. The variation of ˝2 with Bi2O3 content has been
attributed to changes in the asymmetry of the ligand field at the rare earth ion site and to the changes
in their rare earth oxygen (RE-O) covalency. The branching ratio for 3P0→3F2 transition is 42% and the
predicted spontaneous radiative transition probability rates are fairly high (14,347–14,607 s−1). This is
beneficial for lasing emission. The stimulated emission cross-section for all the emission bands has been
calculated