Neodymium ion-doped borate-silicate glass: a thorough analysis for applications in optical and protective radiation

Abstract

In this study, neodymium (Nd)-doped bismuth borosilicate glasses were produced using a melting-quenching technique. The glass density rose, and molar volume fell as the Nd³⁺ ion concentration rose. The influence of Nd substitution on radiation shielding as well as optical properties was investigated. The Phy-X/PSD as well as XCOM programs are used to study radiation shielding properties in the gamma-photon energy band of 0.015: 10 MeV. As the Nd₂O₃ concentration increased, the band gap (E_OPT) levels dropped from 3.221 toward 3.051 eV during the direct transition as well as from 2.622 to 1.855 eV during the indirect transition. As Nd quantity increased, the molar refractivity rose from 19.497 to 21.106 cm³/mol and the refractive index improved from 2.50 to 2.80. The Nd₂O₃ addition to the glasses led to higher MAC and LAC values. The sample with the highest neodymium doping (Nd-1.2) had the lowest mean free path as well as half-value layer. This demonstrated how neodymium enhances glasses’ capacity to reduce photon radiation. The glass system is suggested as a shielding material in terms of photon attenuation.