Structural and Optical Band Gap of Dy3+ doped P2O5-CaO-BaO-Gd2O3 Glasses

This study aims to determine the influence of variations in the composition of quartz sand on the physical properties and structure of phosphate glass medium doped with dysprosium ions (Dy3+). Phosphate glass is known to have good glass network forming ability, high optical transparency, and compatibility against doping of rare-earth metals such as Dy³³, thus potentially being used in optoelectronic applications and luminescent materials. In this study, glass medium was synthesized using the melt quenching method, with a base composition of P₂O-CaO-BaO-Gd2O3 and addition of Dy2O3 by 0.5 mol%. Variations were made on the content of quartz sand as a source of silica to study its changes to the physical properties and structure of glass. Characterization of samples was performed using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) for amorphous structure analysis and phase transformation, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was utilized to detect chemical bonds, in conjunction with density and thermal resistance assessments to examine their physical attributes. This research demonstrates that variations in quartz sand are crucial for regulating the physical properties and structural features of phosphate glass, while also creating prospects for advancing glass-based materials in upcoming optical technology applications.