LAUSR

Abstract Glasses based on Sb 2 O 3 make one of the major classes of heavy metal oxide glasses. This paper concerns two antimonite glasses, 88Sb 2 O 3 -10Na 2 O-2Bi 2 O 3 (SNB2) and 60Sb 2 O 3 -20WO 3 -19Na 2 O-1Bi 2 O 3 (SWNB1), doped with 0.25 mol% Er 2 O 3 . Bulk samples have been prepared and their absorption and fluorescence spectra have been recorded. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) measurements emphasize a thermal stability range ΔT > 100 °C that expresses a good stability against devitrification. Both FTIR and Raman spectra provide information on the structural organization of the glasses. The maximum phonon energies are 700 cm −1 and 920 cm −1 for SNB2 and SWNB1 glasses, respectively. The spectroscopic analysis of the absorption and emission properties of the Er 3+ ions in the SNB2 and SWNB1 glasses has been performed. The Judd-Ofelt theory has been applied to interpret the local environment of the Er 3+ ion site and covalency of the Er O bond, but also to determine the radiative lifetime (τ r ) for 4 I 13/2  →  4 I 15/2 emission transition. The emission cross-sections for the 4 I 13/2  →  4 I 15/2 transition (1528 nm) were calculated using McCumber and Fuchtbauer-Ladenburg theories. We discuss the potential application of these glasses.