Influence of gadolinium nanoparticle doped zinc boro tellurite glass system for potential radiation shielding and optical switching application.

Using the melt quenching technique, a number of [(TeO₂)₇₀(B₂O₃)₃₀]₇₀(ZnO)₃₀₋ₓ(Gd₂O₃)ₓ glasses were created. The amorphous nature of the glasses was substantiated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the existence of GdO₃ nanoparticles was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Key vibrational groups were identified by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy: TeO₃, TeO₄, BO₃, and BO₄. The formation of TeO₄ units improved the radiation shielding capabilities of the glasses, especially in TBZG5, which showed superior photon absorption owing to the presence of large Gd³⁺ ions and lone pair electrons. Specifically, the Gd₂O₃ NP-doped glasses showed reverse saturable absorption and self-focusing behaviour with nonlinear absorption coefficients ranging from 0.660 to 0.729 cm/GW. These glasses also showed increasing nonlinear refractive indices coupled with decreasing overall refractive indices.