Abstract
•The heat treatment at 450 °C for different durations was performed to tune the photoluminescence and spectroscopic properties of Nd3+ ions doped in glasses.•TEM micrographs revealed the homogeneous distribution of spherical shaped Ag nanoparticles glass matrix.•The results instantiate that Nd3+ ions doped in titled glass embedded with silver nanoparticles annealed for 15 hrs at 450 °C is beneficial for optical amplifier and laser applications.
Method of melting and quenching was used to prepare the alkali borate–based glasses embedded with Nd3+ ions and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). In the as–prepared glass, silver NPs were formed by loading the thermal reducing agent such as antimony trioxide in the composition. The optical absorption and microscopic outcomes confirmed the growth of silver NPs in the prepared glass system. The prepared glass was annealed at 450 °C for 0, 5, 10, 15, and 25 hrs to tune the spectroscopic and photoluminescence features of Nd3+ ions loaded in the glass. The photoluminescence intensity and related features were enhanced continuously with heat treatment schedule. However, subsequently the features were reduced at longer schedule. The variation of these features was ascribed to the local field–generated silver NPs. The results revealed that the entitled glass could be utilized for photonic and optoelectronic applications when activated with Nd3+ ions and routed with Ag NPs.