From time-resolved optical emission spectra, we have investigated the effects of a transverse magnetic field on the expansion of a plasma plume produced by laser ablation of a ZnO:$P_2O_5$ ceramic target in oxygen active atmosphere. The emission spectra of $Zn^{+*}$, $P^{+*}$, and $Zn^*$ neutrals in the presence of magnetic field turn out to be considerably different from those without magnetic field. The characteristics of the deposited films grown on amorphous fused silica substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) are examined by analyzing their photoluminescence (PL), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-visible spectra.