Optical properties Judd-ofelt intensity parameters of Eu3+ in PMMA: PAAc copolymer samples

Eu3+-activated PMMA:PAAc copolymers samples with different concentrations of Eu3+ ions were prepared and the spectroscopic properties investigated. The mass density, refractive index, UV-Visible absorption and emission spectra and fluorescence decay times were experimentally obtained. These data were used with the Judd-Ofelt theory to calculate the oscillator strengths, the spontaneous emission probabilities and the branching ratios as a function of the europium content; the Eu concentration was varied in the range from 0.1 to 3 mol %. The europium ions affect the polymerization mechanism since their presence produced a steric effect, which reduces the reactivity ofthe acrylic acid. We analyzed the optical interaction mechanism between the RE3+ and the polymeric matrix, which is of radiative type.