Quantitative UV–VIS spectroscopic studies of photo-thermo-refractive glasses. I. Intrinsic, bromine-related, and impurity-related UV absorption in photo-thermo-refractive glass matrices

Abstract The paper opens up a series of papers on the origin and parameters of spectral features forming the absorption of photo-thermo-refractive (PTR) glasses in the UV. Problems to be cleared for gaining further insight into the spectroscopic manifestations of species responsible for the photo-induced processes in PTR glasses are discussed. The samples of bromine-containing and bromine-free PTR glass matrices are synthesized and their absorption spectra in the 28,500 to 50,000 cm –1 region are recorded. The dispersion analysis of the spectra is conducted based on the convolution model for the complex dielectric function of glasses. The matrix electronic transitions that set the real part of the complex dielectric function and form the intrinsic absorption tail of the matrix are simulated with a series of effective oscillators. Spectral features forming the total absorption spectrum of PTR glass matrices in the 28,500 to 50,000 cm –1 region are deconvoluted. These features are (i) the intrinsic absorption tail, (ii) for the bromine-containing matrix, the low-wavenumber wing of an envelope around ~ 51,400 cm –1 covering the bromine-related spectral feature(s), (iii) Fe 2+ - and Fe 3+ -related impurity bands, and also (iv) a structureless absorption mostly due to the high-wavenumber wings of other impurity bands below 28,500 cm –1 .