Silica phosphate glasses strengthened with calcium oxide modifier and doped with different concentrations (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5 mol%) of praseodymium (Pr3+) were synthesized by sol-gel method. The absence of sharp peaks in the x-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra confirms non-crystallinity of the glasses. Higher doping indicates increasing optical band gaps due to Burstein Moss shift, which also reflects on structural disorders at the absorption tails as validated by Urbach’s rule. The density increases with a subsequent decrease in oxygen packing density, proving the mechanical and chemical stability of the glasses. The composite glasses are multifunctional with marked absorption at 280 nm predicting its purpose as UV shielding films. Luminescence corresponding to the intra 4f transition, 〖1_D〗_2→〖1_G〗_4 in the IR region, with high transmission and low reflection losses suggests the use of the synthesized glass material for S-band telecommunications, while the radiative process involving 〖3_P〗_0→〖3_F〗_2 yields a predominant red laser source. Commission International de l’Eclairage (CIE) color coordinates observe warmer red emission corresponding to Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) of 3200 K. The composite silica phosphate glass systems evidence the effective role of Pr3+ for photonic applications.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.