UV irradiation-induced Raman spectra changes in lead silicate glasses

Abstract The Raman spectra for a series of lead silicate glasses with different PbO content before and after irradiation with different energy density by the frequency-quadrupled output of a Q-switched YAG laser (266 nm, 10 Hz repetition rate) were measured. The intensity of Pb–O band near 140 cm−1 in the Raman spectra decreases after UV irradiation and no new band appears in the Raman spectra. Exposed to the UV beam with high energy density (150 mJ/cm2), although the total dose is smaller than the dose with low energy density (50 mJ/cm2), the intensity of the 140 cm−1 band drops heavilier than exposed to the UV beam with low energy density. This shows that the UV irradiation can cause the broken of Pb–O bond in lead silicate glasses and the broken of Pb–O bond is related to the energy density of UV beam.