2.85 μm fluorescence of Ho-doped water-free fluorotellurite glasses

Holmium doped fluorotellurite glasses with composition of xHo(2)O(3) (wt%)+60TeO(2)-30ZnF(2)-10NaF (mol%) (xHo-TZNF60, x=0.50-1.50) were synthesized by physical and chemical dehydration technique (PCDH) and characterized as candidates of fiber laser glasses. Intense 2.85 mu m fluorescence (Ho3+: I-5(6)-> I-5(7)) was observed experimentally when excited at 1163 nm. It is attributed to low phonon energy of fluoride component and water-free characteristic (alpha(OH)= 0.027 cm(-1)). Ho-TZNF glass possess a large simulated emission cross-section of 1.51 x 10(-20) cm(2), a long fluorescence lifetime of similar to 0.81 ms (1/e time of the initial part of non-exponential decay curve) and a broad transparent window of 2.1-4.2 mu m. Among all the compositions of glass samples, 1.00Ho-TZNF60 is the optimized one, and thus is proposed to be the most potential material for 3.0 mu m fiber laser. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.