The role of PbO on the optical and radiation shielding characteristics of Eu³⁺ ions doped B₂O₃ + As₂O₃ + Sb₂O₃ + Al₂O₃ + PbO glasses

Arsenic antimony alumina boro lead oxide (AAABPbO) glasses doped with Europium (Eu³⁺) ions were synthesised utilising the melt quenching method. The titled glasses were characterised using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermal, absorption, excitation, photoluminescence (PL) emission, and PL decay techniques to examine their physical, structural, and optical features. The XRD and FT-IR recorded for an un-doped as well as Eu-doped AAABPbO glass confirms the glassy nature and bonding characteristics respectively. The Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) recorded for an un-doped AAABPbO glass confirms the glass transition temperature. The Judd-Oflet (J-O) parameters were calculated based on the PL emission spectral data rather than the absorption spectral data. The J–O values estimated for AAABPbO glasses doped with Eu³⁺ ions exhibit a consistent trend of Ω₂ > Ω₄ > Ω₆. The J–O values evaluated were further used to estimate the radiative parameters, such as transition probabilities, branching ratios, quantum efficiency, and emission cross-sections for the titled glasses. Among all the glasses studied in the present work, the one with 2.0 mol% of Eu-ions demonstrates the most notable quantum efficiency (88%) and stimulated emission cross Sect. (7.71 × 10^–22 cm²). The CIE coordinates (0.4502, 0.4187) evaluated from PL emission spectral data revealed reddish-orange emission from the titled glasses. Radiation shielding parameters of the as prepared glasses are estimated in 0.015-15 MeV range using Phy-x/PSD software. Comparison of all results obtained for the titled glasses with the literature values confirms potential of the titled glasses for optical as well as radiative shielding applications.