Structural and optical features of new GdO-doped zinc boro-tellurite glass systems and computation of radiation shielding attenuation parameters.

This study evaluates gadolinium oxide (GdO)-doped zinc boro-tellurite (ZBT) glass for photonic and radiation protection applications, revealing that increasing GdO concentration enhances density from 4.08 to 4.32 g/cm and structural integrity while maintaining amorphous nature. FTIR spectroscopy identified key structural units of (BO, BO, TeO, TeO, Zn-O), and optical analysis demonstrated high visible transmittance greater than 80 % and increased refractive index (1.94-2.07), indicating optoelectronic potential. Photoluminescence showed blue-green emissions with peak intensity at 1.5 mol% of GdO, suggesting solid-state lighting suitability. Phy-X/PSD revealed energy-dependent radiation shielding with mass attenuation coefficients ranging from 37.977 to 40.469 cm/g at 0.015 MeV, while the effective atomic number peaked at 48.48 within 0.04-0.06 MeV, indicating dominant photoelectric absorption. The half-value layer and mean free path increased from 0.004 to 0.153 cm and 0.006-0.221 cm at lower energies, reaching 5.446 cm at 8 MeV and 7.858 cm at 8 MeV, reflecting transitions from photoelectric to Compton scattering and pair production, and confirming superior low-energy attenuation. These results establish GdO-doped ZBT glass as a promising multifunctional material with high density, structural robustness, and enhanced optical performance for advanced radiation shielding and photonic technologies.