Vibrational, optical, and physical properties of yttrium oxide reinforced B₂O₃–ZnO–NaF–CoO glasses for optical applications

Physical characteristics, vibrational modes, optical characteristics of new glasses of 64.9B₂O₃–10ZnO–25NaF–0.1CoO–xY₂O₃: x = 0.0 (Y0.0) ≤ x ≤ 1.0 (Y1.0) mol% have been examined. Amorphously grade of the proposed glass systems examined via the quantifying of XRD. Samples density (ρ) enhanced from 2.9452 ± 0.0001 g.cm⁻³ to 3.0156 ± 0.0001 g.cm⁻³ and the molar volume (V_m) varied between 21.6957 ± 0.0001 cm³.mol⁻¹ and 21.9364 ± 0.0001 cm³.mol⁻¹ as an increase of Y⁺³ ions molar fraction from 0.0 to 1.0 mol% in the glass network. The slope of density and molar volume was 0.07043 and 0.24201, respectively as the Y³⁺ ions in the glass structure.The oxygen molar volume (OMV) decreased from 10.583 cm³.mol⁻¹ at [Y₂O₃] = 0 mol% to 10.546 at [Y₂O₃] = 1.0 mol%, following a linear functional behavior. Also, the oxygen packing density (OPD) increased from 94.493 g.atom.l⁻¹ to 94.819 g.atom.l⁻¹, corresponding to a fractional change of 0.345%. The FTIR spectroscopy approved that the Y⁺³ ions caused partially backed alteration between [BO₄] and [BO₃] units. The Vis- range consist of three smaller bands related ⁴T_1g (F) → ²T_1g (H) octa-, ⁴A₂ (⁴F) → ⁴T₁(⁴P) tetrahedral transitions of Co²⁺ cations, while ⁵T_2g → ⁵E_g octahedral-transitions of Co³⁺cations. The estimated values of energy gap (E_g) were 2.93 (± 0.01 eV), 3.10 (± 0.01 eV), 3.12 (± 0.01 eV), 3.13 (± 0.01 eV), and 3.16 (± 0.01 eV) for the 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.0 mol% of Y₂O₃ doped glasses, respectively. There was a minor reduce trend of nonlinear refractive index (n₂) between 5.81 × 10^–11 (esu) and 4.79 × 10^–11 (esu) at 0 and 1 mol% of Y₂O₃. Results showed that the suggested glasses could be promising for various optical applications.