Examination of structure and optical properties of Ce(3+)-doped strontium borate glass by regression analysis

Amorphous materials with non-periodic structures are commonly evaluated based on their chemical composition, which is not always the best parameter to evaluate physical properties, and an alternative parameter more suitable for performance evaluation must be considered. Herein, we quantified various structural and physical properties of Ce-doped strontium borate glasses and studied their correlations by principal component analysis. We found that the density-driven molar volume is suitable for the evaluation of structural data, while chemical composition is better for the evaluation of optical and luminescent data. Furthermore, the borate-rich glasses exhibited a stronger luminescence due to Ce(3+), indicating a higher fraction of BO(3/2) ring and larger cavity. Moreover, the internal quantum efficiency was found to originate from the local coordination states of the Ce(3+) centres, independent of composition or molar volume. The comparison of numerical data of the matrix is useful not only for ensuring the homogenous doping of amorphous materials by activators, but also for determining the origin of physical properties.