Enhancement of near infrared luminescence properties of B2O3–BaF2–TeO2–Nd2O3 glasses doped with Bi3+ or Sb3+

B–Ba–Te–Nd borate glasses doped with different heavy metals Bi3+ or Sb3+ were successfully prepared by a high temperature melting process. The basic properties, NIR luminescence properties and decay lifetime of the glasses under Bi3+ or Sb3+ doping conditions were investigated. Interestingly, it was found that doping with heavy metals Bi3+ or Sb3+ was effective in improving the structure of the borate glass matrix, effectively enhancing the 1067 nm luminescence intensity of Nd3+ ions by a factor of 1.78 and 1.53, respectively. In addition, the mechanism of improved luminescence by heavy metal doping was discussed in conjunction with FT-IR, emission spectra and decay curves. This study provides a new way to enhance the luminescence performance of borate-based glasses.