Distribution of Nd(3+) ions in oxyfluoride glass ceramics

It has been an open question whether Nd(3+) ions are incorporated into the crystalline phase in oxyfluoride glass ceramics or not. Moreover, relative research has indicated that spectra characters display minor differences between before and after heat treatment in oxyfluoride glass compared to similar Er(3+)-, Yb(3+)-, Tm(3+)-, Eu(3+)-, etc.-doped materials. Here, we have studied the distribution of Nd(3+) ions in oxyfluoride glass ceramics by X-ray diffraction quantitative analysis and found that almost none of the Nd(3+) ions can be incorporated into the crystalline phase. In order to confirm the rationality of the process, the conventional mathematical calculation and energy-dispersive spectrometry line scanning are employed, which show good consistency. The distribution of Nd(3+) ions in oxyfluoride glass ceramics reported here is significant for further optical investigations and applications of rare-earth doped oxyfluoride glass ceramics.