Binary zinc berate glasses of varied composition were prepared by the melt
quenching technique to samples of good optical quality. Absorption, fluores
cence and optical excitation spectra of the glass matrix have been investig
ated. It is shown that the composition of the glass strongly affects the po
sition of the emission and excitation maximum. Both the emission and the ex
citation spectra were progressively red shifted with increasing zinc conten
t in the glass matrix. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.