CENTENNIAL HONORS COLLEGE
Western Illinois University
Undergraduate Research Day 2016
PosterPresentation
PreparationandStudyofSm-dopedBarium-BismuthBorateGlasses
MeganLong
FacultyMentors:SaisudhaMallurandP.K.Babu
Physics
Aseriesofbarium-bismuthborateglasssamplesdopedwithSmwerepreparedwithincreasing
bismuth oxide content. For each glass sample, starting materials were carefully measured out
usingananalyticalbalanceandwasgroundedtoafinepowderwhereitwasthoroughlymixed
andplacedinaporcelaincrucibleformeltingataround1000oC.Oncethesamplesweremelted,
theyweremixedviaagitationthreetimesandthenquenchedbypouringontoabrassplate.A
brasswasherwasusedtoretainacircularshapeandkeepauniformthickness.Afterquenching,
eachsamplewasplacedinanaluminaboatforannealingatatemperatureof350oCforaperiod
of3hoursusingatubefurnace.Annealedglasssamplesarepolishedforopticalabsorptionand
fluorescencestudies.PreliminaryresultsshowthattheintensityofSmfluorescencespectravary
withthebaseglasscomposition.