Determination of Judd-Ofelt parameters for Eu3+-doped alkali borate glasses

Abstract The radiative transition properties of Eu3+ doped materials can hardly be quantitatively evaluated via traditional Judd-Ofelt (J–O) calculation procedure owing to the lack of available transitions in the absorption spectra. In this work, a new J–O calculation route was proposed and employed to Eu3+ doped alkali borate glasses. Three sets of J–O parameters were obtained by using, respectively, the absorption, emission and excitation spectra, and the average J–O parameters involving more electric dipole transitions than in any individual spectrum were suggested to be used for quantificationally presenting radiative transition properties of Eu3+ in the studied glasses. The radiative transition lifetime of 5D0 level derived by using the J–O parameters was compared with the measured one, and good agreement was achieved. This fact indicated that the proposed J–O calculation route is practicable. Furthermore, the radiative transition rates and fluorescence branching ratios for Eu3+ in the studied borate glasses were calculated.