Optical Band Gap, Oxidation Polarizability, Optical Basicity and Electronegativity Measurements of Silicate Glasses Using Ellipsometer and Abbe Refractometer

The values of refractive index (n) for silicate glasses (silica, soda lime and borosilicate 7059) are decreased from 1.5119 to 1.5111, 1.5086 to 1.5065 and 1.5296 to 1.5281, respectively;and the optical band gap (Eg) is increased from 9.8 to 9.81 eV, 9.845 to 9.88 eV and 9.56 to 9.58 eV, respectively over the temperature range 295 - 473 K using ellipsometer at wavelength 632.8 nm. While n is decreased from 1.5276 to 1.5274, 1.5074 to 1.5070 and from 1.5283 to 1.5281, respectively;and Eg is increased from 9.59 to 9.592 eV, 9.862 to 9.870 eV, and 9.574 to 9.58 eV, respectively over the temperature range 297 - 322 K using Abbe refractometer at wavelength 589.3 nm. The values of oxide ion polarizability [αo2- (n) and αo2-(Eg)] regarding silica, soda lime and borosilicate 7059 glasses are decreased from 1.3427 to 1.3408, 1.6014 to 1.5941, 1.4329 to 1.4193, respectively over the temperature range 295 - 473 K using ellipsometer;and are decreased from 1.3786 to 1.3764, 1.5991 to 1.5969, 1.4297 to 1.4191, respectively over the temperature range 297 - 322 K using Abbe refractometer. Similarly, the values of optical basicity [A (n) and A (Eg)] of silica, soda lime, and borosilicate 7059 glasses are decreased from 0.4272 to 0.4245, 0.6271 to 0.6224, 0.5045 to 0.4933, respectively over the temperature range 295 - 473 K using ellipsometer;and are decreased from 0.4586 to 0.4567, 0.6256 to 0.6242, 0.5018 to 0.4930, respectively over the temperature range 297 - 322 K using Abbe refractometer. Further, we have found that for silica, soda lime and borosilicate 7059, the values of electronegativity (ξ1av) QUOTE ζ1av) using Zahidnumerical model [based on αO2- (n) and A (n)] are increased from 5.1035 to 5.5504, 4.0393 to 4.830, 4.8143 to 5.0111, respectively over the temperature range 295 - 473 K using ellipsometer;while these values are increased from 5.0657 to 5.2149, 5.0657 to 5.2149, 4.8357 to 5.0111, respectively over the temperature range 297 - 322 K using Abbe refractometer. It is very clear from this research report that both refractive index and optical band gap-based-oxide ion polarizability and optical basicity have the same decreasing trend as the temperature is increased, and this trend indicates that the reported glasses have a very small amount of electronic polarizability. Moreover, this decreasing trend occurs due to the decreasing amount of non-bridging oxygen (NBO) which in turn caused a decrease in refractive index within the silicate glass system at higher temperature. Since the calculated values of electronegativity are found to be in the range 4.0393 - 5.5504 for the reported silicate glasses, so all these glasses have an ionic character. Moreover, low values of optical basicity and of oxide ion polarizability suggest that the silicate glasses are not novel glasses (optical functional glasses) for non-linear optical (NLO) devices or for three dimensional displays.