Optical and electronic properties of bismuth-implanted glasses

Abstract

Photoluminescence (PL) and excitation spectra of Bi melt-doped oxide and chalcogenide glasses are very similar, indicating the same Bi center is present. When implanted with Bi, chalcogenide, phosphate and silica glasses, and BaF2 crystals, all display characteristically different PL spectra to when Bi is incorporated by melt-doping. This indicates that ion implantation is able to generate Bi centers which are not present in samples whose dopants are introduced during melting. Bi-related PL bands have been observed in glasses with very similar compositions to those in which carrier-type reversal has been observed, indicating that these phenomena are related to the same Bi centers, which we suggest are interstitial Bi 2+ and Bi clusters.

A detailed aging analysis of MPO4:X (M = Y3+, La3+, Lu3+; X = Bi3+, Pr3+, Gd3+) due to the Xe excimer discharge

“…Interestingly, however, the aged YPO 4 :Bi sample gives rise to a new absorption band at 480 nm (2.6 eV) not present in the initial material. Based on comparable observations made in Bi-doped silicate glasses, we tentatively attribute this new absorption to a reduction of Bi 3+ to Bi 2+ [29]. This conclusion is further supported by R. Awater et al, who report in the formation and luminescence of Bi 2+ centres in YPO 4 upon electron trapping from the conduction band by Bi 3+ centres [21].…”