Structure and optical properties of glasses in systems ZrF4―BiF3―BaF2―PbF2―LnF3

Abstract New fluoride glasses in the ZrF4―BaF2―BiF3―LnF3 (Ln―Eu, Er, Yb, Nd) system have been produced. The structure and optical properties of glasses have been investigated on the basis of the analysis of IR and inelastic light scattering spectral data. Variations of the composition of fluorozirconate systems through addition of BiF3 components and partial substitution of Ba2+ by Pb2+ did not result in radical changes in the structure of glass networks. Doping of glasses with rare earth elements resulted in radical changes of their low-frequency inelastic scattering spectra that were caused by the rare earth elements photoluminescence contribution. The presence of this contribution was used to establish the fact of glass luminescence itself and to obtain the information on the effect of the glass composition on some photoluminescence parameters.