New doped boro-phosphate vitreous materials, as nano-powders and nano-structured thin films, with high optical and magnetic properties, for photonics - MAGPHOGLAS

Transition, post-transition and rare earth doped boron-phosphate glasses were designed, modeled and made in the form of block and thin layers. To improve the magneto-optical properties of the samples, zinc oxide was introduced into the recipe. The technological process for obtaining the block glass was established by wet production of the mixture of raw materials followed by melting and annealing. Six samples were tested, as well as targets for Magnetron Sputtering - MS and Pulsed Laser Deposition - PLD. Sol-gel samples from boro-phosphate systems were made and the thermal treatment established for their obtaining as powder or thin layers. Films of 0.5-1 microns thickness were deposited by MS on clean boro-silicate glass and quartz glass substrate or coated on one side with a layer of tens of nm of silver. The parameters of the MS process for doped boro-phosphate films deposition have been established, from targets made by own efforts, with a complex composition. There were deposited films from two types of targets made by own efforts through the PLD method, on substrates of borosilicate and silica glass. Transition, post-transition and rare earth ions doped boro-phosphate glass were designed, modeled and realised as MS and PLD targets. Sol-gel samples from doped and undoped boro-phosphate binary systems were made and the thermal treatment for their preparation as powder was established. Films were deposited on borosilicate and silica glass substrate by spin-coating method. Films from two types of targets made by own efforts were deposited by PLD method, on borosilicate and quartz glass substrates as well as on silicon. Meta-surfaces were initiated by depositing ultra-thin layers of nm thickness, on and from doped boro-phosphate glasses, in various mono and multilayer variants, with the use of boron-phosphate doped with terbium and dysprosium oxides targets and Ag target. The structure and properties of the samples were investigated by UV-Vis, FTIR and Raman spectroscopic methods, as well as dilatometry, AFM and XRD, on the coordinator and differential thermal analysis, SEM-EDAX, XRD, XRF and SEM-EDAX, XRD , as well as optical and luminiscence analyzes at CENIMAT, Portugal. At the National Institute for R&D for Materials Physics - INCDFM, by contract with third parties, the magnetic and magneto-optical properties of the block and thin layers deposited and calculated Verdet constant were investigated to identify the magneto – optical properties level. The best results were obtained for the BPM6 code sample, doped with dysprosium and terbium ions. The Institute of Applied Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Moldova in Chisinau has measured and analyzed the mechanical properties of BPM borophosphate glass within a joint scientific collaboration program demonstrating that boro-phosphate glasses have higher mechanical properties than alumino- phosphate ones. The most relevant result obtained by the project is the obtaining of bulk boro-phosphate glasses containing lithium oxide, aluminum oxide and zinc oxide and doped with transition and post-transition ions pairs or with rare earth ion pairs, with the following characteristics: 

• High homogeneity in the entire volume of the glass 
• Lack of flaws or stones
• Low number of gaseous inclusions and very small dimensions of them
• Lack of defects of the type of striations, thread, cords
• Lack of tensions due to thermal gradients
• Optical transmission in visible up to 80% or more (also for near UV or near IR)
• Optical magneto-optical effect, rotation of the polarized light plane, comparable to that indicated by the data from the literature, as well as the process of manufacturing such glasses with magneto-optical properties.

The main novelty of the project's results is that new vitreous materials have been obtained with magneto-optical uses, combining the properties of phosphate glasses with the advantages and novelty of the introduction of B2O3 and ZnO. Because the applications of phosphate glasses are diminished due to reduced chemical stability, the addition of trivalent ions as a substitute for alkaline ions has improved chemical and mechanical strength. Stabilization of phosphate glasses was achieved by introducing B2O3 combined with ZnO and / or PbO. The dopants, transition metals, post-transition metals and rare earths oxides provide high magneto-optic properties for these glasses, which have the advantages of combining these properties with high chemical and mechanical stability. New scientific areas, new masters and new international PhDs have been initiated.

New scientific fields, new masters and new international PhDs were initiated in Portugal and the Republic of Moldova and the Faraday rotator prototype was developed at SITEX partner. Dissemination of research results was achieved through the publication of 12 articles in ISI quoted journals and the presentation of 38 papers at international conferences. The SITEX Partner filed a patent application at Romanian Office for Patents OSIM. The INFLPR Coordinator filed a second patent application at OSIM. A project site was created. A workshop for presentation and demonstration of project results was held at Magurele, at the project coordinator. A brochure was realised presenting the project results.

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