Study of the optical properties of V₂O₅-Li₂O-P₂O₅ glass system

In the last two decades, several applications became more dependent on the nonlinearity phenomena in glasses, for example: laser glass has low nonlinear refractive index (n₂), while higher values serve in optical switching. In this study, Vanadium-Lithium-Phosphate glass samples [V₂O₅-Li₂O-P₂O₅] were prepared by the melt-quenching technique. The amorphous structure of these glasses is examined by XRD analysis. The recorded reflectance and transmittance were investigated over the range from 200 to 2500 nm for the five samples. The two parts of the calculated refractive indices are estimated via an analytical technique. The dispersion parameters, such as Sellmeier gap energy, dispersion energy as well as Abbe's number, were deduced. From the obtained results, the parameters for absorption dispersion, namely: the optical energy gaps for indirect transition as well as the Urbach energy were extracted. Moreover, the other parameters such as: the molar refractivity, the reflection loss and density are calculated. The measured optical parameters were found to vary nonlinearly with increasing vanadium oxide (V₂O₅), in the presence of Li₂O in the phosphate matrix. In the aim of enhancing the performance in this glass system, the effects of ascending doping with a transition metal oxide (V₂O₅) on both the predicted nonlinear and the linear optical parameters, are investigated and analyzed. (paper)