RE-codoping effect on emission ability of Sm,Gd- and Sm,Eu-codoped complex borosilicate glasses

• Under appropriate excitation the relative emission intensity of RE-codoped aluminoborosilicate glasses reveals non-linear dependence on codopants proportions • Sm reduction efficiency is changed by codopants proportions in non-linear manner • Sm 3+ and Eu 3+ lifetime evolves with codopants proportions in non-linear way • Maximum value in these dependences is favored by RE codopants proportion of 50%:50% • Observed behavior could be explained by different contributions of RE sites in total emission as well as more complicated interaction process of different RE redox states/sites between each other or with precursors of glass intrinsic defects Sm,Gd- and Sm,Eu-codoped aluminoborosilicate glasses (ABS) with total rare earth (RE) content of 1 or 2 wt.% have been synthesized by melt-quenching technique. Different proportions of RE-codopants were used to examine the codoping effect on the emission ability of pristine and β-irradiated codoped ABS glasses. It was shown that the relative luminescence intensity as well as the reduction efficiency of Sm ions in glass studied reveals non-linear behavior with RE concentration proportion. The same non-linear evolution with RE codoping concentration was observed for Sm 3+ and Eu 3+ lifetime in glass studied. The results obtained are consistent with hypothesis on more complicated processes of RE ions participation in the luminescence and/or interaction of different RE redox states and RE sites both between each other and with precursors of glass intrinsic defects.