Preparation and Characterisation of Rare Earth Doped Phosphate Glasses

Abstract

Phosphate glasses with composition 50PP5-30CaO-(20-x) up-xceo2 with x varying from 0-2.0 mo!% were prepared using the conventional melt quench technique. The amorphous nature of prepared glosses was confirmed from the XRD{X-Ray Diffraction] spectra. The density and Molar volume of the glasses was found using the Archimedes principle. The value of the density lies in the range of 3. 58-3. 71 g/cm3 • The density of the prepared glasses was found to increase with the concentration of CeO2• This was explained as the molecular weight of CeO2 Is more as compared to the molecular weight of up. The Raman spectra was obtained for the prepared glass samples and it was found that no new peaks are formed with the doping of CeO:z, and only there Is a change In the Intensity of peaks and the peaks are red shifted. The bandgap energy is found to decrease with CeO2 doping due to the formation of more NBOs.