Physical,Phy-X/PSD based radiation shielding and electrical properties of Dy₂O₃‒doped ZrO₂‒PbO‒As₂O₃Glass system

Dy₂O₃‒doped ZrO₂‒PbO‒As₂O₃ glasses were synthesized via the conventional melt-quenching technique to investigate their structural, physical characteristics, Phy-X based radiation shielding, and dielectric properties. X‒ray diffraction confirmed the amorphous nature of all glass compositions, while energy-dispersive spectroscopy verified the successful incorporation of the constituent elements. The incorporation of Dy₂O₃ resulted in a systematic increase in density from 4.302 to 4.551 g/cm³, accompanied by increase oxygen packing density and a reduction in molar volume and inter-ionic separation, indicating enhanced structural compactness and possible Dy‒O interactions within the glass network. Radiation shielding parameters were evaluated using Phy-X/PSD software over a broad photon-energy range. The glass containing 1.0 mol% Dy₂O₃ exhibited the best shielding performance, with a linear attenuation coefficient of 377.72 cm^-1, an effective atomic number of 43.76, and lower half-value layer and mean free path at 0.015 MeV, demonstrating improved γ-ray attenuation efficiency. The Energy-dependent variations of effective atomic number and electron density followed expected photon-matter interaction mechanisms, including photoelectric absorption, Compton scattering and pair production. Dielectric measurements performed over a wide frequency range revealed an enhanced dielectric constant with Dy₂O₃ addition up to an optimum concentration within the investigated range, attributed to increased ionic polarizability and network modification. Further, AC conductivity exhibited a typical frequency-dependent increase consistent with a hopping conduction mechanism in disordered oxide systems. The simultaneous enhancement in structural compactness, electronic response and radiation attenuation demonstrates that Dy₂O₃serves as an effective network modifier in ZrO₂‒PbO‒As₂O₃ glass system, making these glasses promising candidates for radiation shielding and dielectric applications in nuclear and medical fields.