Optical properties of silver ion-exchanged antimony doped glass

The aim of this study is to seek a better knowledge of the influence of opt ically active antimony ions on the optical properties of silver centres, in troduced by silver ion exchange into Sb-doped soda-lime glass. We report on photoluminescence, optical absorption and transmission electron microscopy investigations of antimony-doped glass before and after the ion-exchange p rocess with Ag+ at high- and low-temperatures, for different lengths of tim e. The modification of the glass structure due to sodium exchange by silver , at low temperatures and short exchange times, neither affects significant ly the characteristic luminescence of Sb3+ in the soda-lime glass nor the a bsorption spectrum of the glass. However, a decrease of Sb3+-emission inten sity peaked at 371 nm (3.34 eV) as the exchange time or temperature increas es, is found to be important. We use optical spectroscopy to study differen t silver species inside the glass after the exchange. Traces of isolated Ag +-ions cannot be detected in the first stage of the exchange process. Never theless, an orange luminescence with a peak at about 615 under 395 nm excit ation attributed to small clusters formed by silver ions and silver atoms, can be recorded in those samples exchanged for 10 min. (C) 2000 Elsevier Sc ience B.V. All rights reserved.